


Trivia Night

by blk0912



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barson, Barsonoah, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, implied rollisi, mostly barson with a bit of rollisi mixed in
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 120,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24548206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blk0912/pseuds/blk0912
Summary: Amanda signs Olivia and Rafael up for trivia night at Forlini's, causing them to reevaluate their relationship. Now includes expanded family for both Barson and Rollisi.
Relationships: Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins, Lucia Barba & Rafael Barba, Noah Porter Benson & Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba & Noah Porter Benson, Rafael Barba & Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 198
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was finishing the next chapter of Discovering Family when this idea occurred to me and demanded to be written..so here you go. 
> 
> This got a little sappier at the end than I originally intended, but I hope you all enjoy anyway :) If you'd like to see part 2, let me know.

* * *

“You know they’re going to kill us for this, right?” Sonny asked Amanda as he watched her write down ‘Olivia and Rafael’ on the _Best Friend Trivia Night_ signup sheet at Forlini’s.

Amanda simply smiled. “They’ll get over it. Trust me.”

“Sometimes I wonder why I do.”

Amanda laughed, sliding her arm through his to pull him back to their table.

* * *

As she waited with Rafael for their friends to return, Olivia leaned her head on his shoulder and momentarily closed her eyes. She wasn’t quite sure why she’d agreed to this after the week SVU had had, but she didn’t want to disappoint her friends and Lucy had already planned a movie night with Noah, so she had dragged Rafael along with her (though, really, it hadn’t taken more than her asking him to come with for him to agree).

“You okay?” he asked, using the same soft tone he always did when he asked that question of her.

“A little tired,” she answered honestly. “But I’ll be fine. Just need a minute.”

Rafael leaned his head against hers for a moment before lifting it again, his silent way of telling her he understood. It was a new thing, but she liked it. They’d been more affectionate with each other in general lately and had even fallen asleep together on the couch the other night. She knew she loved him, and was fairly certain he felt the same way, but she didn’t want to push it and risk losing him. He was her best friend and her rock. Truly the first real _partner_ she’d ever had. She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her name, along with Rafael’s, being called from the stage. Lifting her head to meet his eyes, she saw that he was just as confused as she was.

“I thought you two were signing _yourselves_ up for this?” Rafael said to the two detectives sitting across from them.

“Changed my mind last minute,” Amanda replied easily. “Figured you two had a better chance than Sonny and me.”

“Come on, Rafa,” Olivia said as she stood and reached for his hand. “It’ll be fun.”

Rafael rolled his eyes, but stood and followed her to the stage. They were each handed a dry-erase board, a marker, and an eraser as they took their seats. There were five other groups on the stage with them.

* * *

A few minutes later, after the announcer explained the instructions, the questions began. They were starting with five questions about best friend number one, which in their case was Rafael.

“We’ll start off with an easy question: what is your best friend’s favorite animal?”

Olivia thought of the recent trip to the zoo that Rafael had taken with her and Noah. While the little boy had naturally wanted to see the elephants, Rafael had drifted towards the penguins. Apparently the fact that it looked like they were always wearing tuxedos had amused him since he was a kid. When it was their turn to reveal their answers, Olivia glanced nervously at Rafael as she turned her board around.

“Penguins,” she answered, trying to sound confident.

“Rafael?” the announcer prompted.

Rafael smiled as he turned his board around, revealing the same answer Olivia had written. “Penguins,” he repeated.

After a few more rather superficial questions, which she had also gotten correct, the last question caused her to suppress a laugh.

“Now for the final question of this round: What did your best friend say to you when you met?”

Smiling at the memory, which she knew said best friend would rather forget, she quickly wrote down her answer.

“Olivia, what’s your answer?” the announcer asked.

Olivia turned her board around as she spoke. “He said ‘take your daughters to work day?’”

“Rafael?”

Although he shook his head, Olivia could see the humor in his eyes as he turned his board around to reveal the matching answer.

“Sounds like an interesting first meeting.”

Rafael looked over at Olivia, meeting her eyes. “I’ll never forget it,” he said honestly.

* * *

At the end of the next round, in which Rafael correctly answered the previous four questions about Olivia, it was time for another less superficial question.

“What is your best friend’s biggest fear?”

Rafael thought for a moment. He knew Olivia liked to pretend she was fearless, especially on the job, and she had some he would say more superficial fears, ones that most of their friends knew about, such as bees since she had been stung a couple of times as a child and of course there was every parents’ worst nightmare of losing their child. But there was one fear that she did her best to hide from everyone, and she had from him at first as well. Then he’d gotten to know her better and she had confided it in him one night. He wouldn’t go into detail when they were in public like this, but he knew this was meant to be the non-superficial answer of the game so he wrote down what he thought best summed it up.

“Times up! Rafael, what’s your answer?” the announcer asked.

Glancing over at Olivia in a silent apology, he turned his board around. “Failure.”

* * *

Hearing Rafael’s answer, Olivia’s breath momentarily caught. Apparently he had been having the same internal debate about how to answer as she had, and they had come to the same conclusion. When the announcer prompted her, she turned her board around.

“Failure,” she repeated, looking over at Rafael, who simply nodded at her much the same way he did when he was in court.

Smiling a little to herself, she turned her attention back to the rest of the game.

* * *

A short while later, after being declared the victors due to their perfect score (also apparently a Forlini’s Best Friend Trivia Night first), Rafael took Olivia’s hand and led her not back to the table where Amanda and Sonny were still sitting, but out the back door where they could talk more privately.

“You okay?” he asked, repeating his earlier question.

“Can we just go back to your place? It’s been a long few days and I just…need my best friend to myself right now.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll text Amanda and let her know we’re leaving,” Olivia said as Rafael pulled out his own phone to call them a car.

* * *

Back at his apartment, Rafael poured them each a drink-his favorite scotch and her favorite wine.

“I’m sorry if I upset you with any of those so-called deeper answers,” he said as he took a seat beside her on the couch, handing her the glass of wine.

Olivia took a sip, smiling at the fact that Rafael now kept a bottle of her favorite wine here just like she kept a bottle of his favorite scotch at her place. “It’s okay. It was kind of fun, actually. I’m still going to plan revenge on our friends, though.”

Rafael chuckled. “I’m happy to help.”

“Did you really keep that drawing Noah made for you?” she asked, nodding towards his fridge.

“I happen to like it.”

“He keeps asking for you, you know.”

“He does?”

Olivia took another sip of her wine, and then nodded. “Mm. You’re his favorite storyteller. You pick the best books and do the best voices. Oh, and the best Lego buddy.”

Rafael smiled. “I didn’t realize he liked me that much.”

“There’s a lot you don’t realize,” Olivia said softly, looking into her wine glass as she spoke.

“What?”

Olivia sighed, setting her glass down on the coffee table before turning to face Rafael. Reaching for his free hand, she laced their fingers together. “I’ve never been this close to anyone in my life, you know?”

Setting his glass of scotch next to Olivia’s wine, Rafael mirrored her position and reached to lace his fingers through the ones of her free hand. “Me, neither.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Rafa. You’re the first person I’ve felt I can really lean on. For once, _I_ don’t have to be the one offering reassurances. At least, not all the time.”

Rafael felt his heart begin to beat faster. “Livia, what’s going on?”

“You’re the only one who calls me that.”

“You and Noah are the only ones who call me Rafa.”

“Your mom calls you Rafi.”

“So does Eddie and so did my _abuelita_. It was a childhood nickname. With everyone else, except you and Noah, I’ve always been Rafael or Barba,” Rafael replied. When Olivia was still silent a few moments later, he turned to his earlier question. “ _Querida_ , tell me what’s wrong.”

“ _Estoy enamorado de mi mejor amigo_ ,” Olivia answered, releasing one of Rafael’s hands to reach up and slid her hand behind his neck to pull him close and press her lips to his.

“ _También_ ,” he said when they broke apart. “I love you, Livia. So much.”

“I love you, too, Rafa. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I’m not going anywhere. _Lo prometo_ ,” Rafael told her before capturing her lips in another, deeper, kiss.

* * *

A few hours later, after making love, and cuddling and talking together, Olivia was about to fall asleep when she heard the sound of her phone indicating she had a message. Groaning, she buried her face in Rafael’s shoulder.

“You should probably get that, _mi vida_ ,” Rafael told her.

Olivia raised her head at the new nickname, smiling as she leaned over to kiss him before reaching for her phone. “Noah!” she gasped.

“Is everything okay?”

“I lost track of time. He’s wondering when I’ll be home. How could I forget about my kid?”

“You didn’t forget about him. You said it yourself-you lost track of time. Happens to the best of us.”

“I don’t want to leave.”

“So don’t. Have Lucy pack a bag for each of you and one with some toys for Noah. Spend the weekend with me. It’s a long weekend, and I know you already requested Monday off. I don’t have anything pressing going on now that our cases wrapped up, so McCoy told me to take a vacation day for once. Specifically Monday.”

“A paid vacation?” Olivia teased with a smile as she typed out a message to Lucy.

Rafael chuckled, tickling her side. “Yes.”

“Lucy said Noah wants to know if he can bring his newest Lego set over.”

“Sure.”

“Are you positive you want us here this weekend? Messing up your place?”

“I’m educating your son on the merits of a toy box, Livia. Besides, I like having you both here. I always have.”

“Good, because _you’re_ the one who gets to calm him down for bed when he gets here.”

Rafael chuckled, pulling her close for another kiss. “I’ll take care of him. Of both of you.”

Olivia brought her hand up to rest on his cheek as she locked eyes with him. “I want to tell him about us right away. I want to spend the weekend as a family. I want to disclose when we get back to work on Tuesday.”

“Livia…”

“I’m sure, Rafa. _So sure_. Noah and I love you, and I know now that you love us both, too. You’re stuck with us and you’re just going to have to deal with it.”

Rafael smiled, leaning forward to kiss her again before he spoke. “Sounds perfect. I just have one request.”

“Anything.”

“I’m supposed to meet my mom for brunch on Sunday…will you and Noah come with me?”

“If there are pancakes involved, I’m sure my son will be all for it. Your mom is probably going to freak out, you know?”

Rafael chuckled and nodded. “I’m kind of counting on it.”

* * *

Nearly a half an hour later, Rafael opened his door and quickly felt little arms wrap around his waist.

“Rafa!” Noah exclaimed, holding tightly to the older man. “Lucy said you invited Mom and me to spend the weekend with you!”

“I did, _amiguito_ ,” Rafael confirmed, scooping him up as Olivia came over to get the bags from Lucy and thank her for bringing both them and Noah. “It’s bedtime now, though, so won’t be able to play until tomorrow.”

Noah nodded, laying his head on Rafael’s shoulder as he yawned, the excitement of earlier beginning to catch up with him.

“Did you have a good time with Lucy, sweet boy?’ Olivia asked, pressing a kiss to his forehead and running a hand over his hair.

“Yes, but I think I’m going to have more fun with you and Rafa tomorrow,” Noah answered confidently.

Olivia and Rafael laughed, the latter hugging him closer as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“Is it okay if Rafa puts you to bed tonight?’ Olivia asked, though she was sure she already knew the answer.

“Story?” Noah asked sleepily.

“Of course.”

“Okay. ‘Night, Mom. Love you.”

“I love you, too, sweet boy. Be good for Rafa.”

“Want to stay with you and Rafa forever.”

Rafael looked over at Olivia, whose eyes suddenly looked very watery. Leaning over, he kissed her softly before turning his attention back to the little boy in his arms. “We’ll work on convincing your Mami this weekend,” he said as he grabbed Noah’s bag and headed towards the spare bedroom.

* * *

“You kissed my mom,” Noah said as he snuggled into the bed, Eddie wrapped tightly in his arms.

“I did,” Rafael confirmed. “Is that okay?”

“You love her?”

“Very much.”

“And me?”

Rafael smiled. “Very much, _amiguito_.”

“This room is bigger than mine at home.”

Rafael chuckled. Apparently they were forgoing the story and were going to have a chat instead. Reaching over, he ran his hand through the little boy’s curls. “It is. However, toy boxes are not decorative here.”

“Lucy helped me put my toys away at home.”

“All of them?”

“Yes. Does that mean I can have pancakes in the morning?”

“I was thinking we could have _pastelitos_ instead.”

“Do I like those?”

“I don’t think you’ve ever had them. They’re one of my favorites, though. My Mami used to make them for me all the time when I was your age.”

“Okay. Can we have pancakes on Sunday morning, then?”

Rafael smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”

“Love you, Rafa,” Noah said sleepily as he closed his eyes and burrowed deeper into the bed.

“I love you, too, _mijo_ ,” Rafael replied, pressing another kiss to head before standing and walking back out to the living room where Olivia was waiting for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested, here's part 2. I don't currently have plans for part 3, but I could be persuaded ;) 
> 
> comments (and kudos) are always appreciated :) Enjoy!

* * *

As he entered the living room, Rafael was surprised to see Olivia walking around rather than sitting on the couch as he’d expected. When he was putting Noah to sleep, he thought he’d heard footsteps, but had pushed the thoughts aside so he could concentrate on the little boy.

“Are you checking out my apartment?” he teased as he approached.

Olivia smiled at him, leaning over for a kiss. “I always liked this place, you know? I expected a place like this to be cold and unwelcoming, but it isn’t. It never has been. Even before you added Noah’s drawing and the pictures, which I noticed by the way.”

“I liked it pretty much right away, too. I couldn’t tell you why, but I did. It was more room that I was looking for, or needed, but something was telling me that this was my place, so I bought it. Then I met you, I got to know you, you adopted Noah, and then you let me into both of your lives even more. I began to picture you two here, like…fate, or whatever you want to call it, was telling me to get this place because _you_ would help me make it a home.”

Olivia smiled, and then was silent for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. When Noah had said that he wanted to stay with her and Rafael forever, and then Rafael had responded that they would have to work on convincing her this weekend, she just _knew_. She’d been in love with her best friend for years and now that she knew he felt the same, she didn’t want to waste any more time. Noah adored and loved Rafael, and Rafael felt the same about him. They had already been a family for a while, but confessing her feelings for Rafael had just made it official.

“I got a notice from my apartment manager today-I need to let him know by the end of the month if I’m staying another year, want to do a month-to-month lease, or if I’m moving out…” she finally said.

Rafael’s smile grew as he caught on. “Noah told me that the room here is bigger than his room at home, and it seems he’s learned that toy boxes are not decorative.”

Olivia wrapped her arms around Rafael’s neck, leaning close for another kiss. “This place is bigger than mine…and it has better security.”

Rafael kissed her again. “Noah already claimed his room. I think he likes the bed, too. Oh, and he said he’s okay with me kissing you.”

Olivia laughed. “Good, because I really don’t think I could give that up.”

“No?”

“ _Nunca_.”

“ _¿te quedarás para siempre?_ ”

Suddenly feeling insecure, Olivia dropped her gaze. “Rafa, we haven’t even spent the night together before.”

“Actually, we have.”

Olivia looked back up, confused.

“That night we fell asleep on the couch? We woke up the next morning to Noah saying our names.”

“That was one night.”

“I know what I want, Livia. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind about _us_ , about being there for Noah however he will let me, about coming home to you and that boy every night. I want to be there for you when _you_ need me. I want to make you happy and show you every day how much I love you.”

“Maybe we could pick out some things together this weekend, the three of us? To mark the first weekend in our new home?”

Rafael grinned at her. “We’ll go tomorrow after breakfast. Maybe let the kid run off some of his energy in the park beforehand. I got him to agree to _pastelitos_ for breakfast instead of pancakes.”

Olivia laughed. “How did you manage that?”

“I said pancakes on Sunday were a definite possibility. I also told him I think he’d like the _pastelitos_ , but no, he’d never had them before.”

“I’ve never had _pastelitos_ either, how do you know _I_ will like them?”

Rafel’s eyes danced as he looked at her with a smirk. “Because, _mi vida_ , you _have_ had them before. That morning you burst into my office demanding a warrant for the Martinez case and said you were starving and whatever I was eating smelled delicious. I offered you one while I got the warrant ready for you.”

Olivia smiled as the memory came back to her. “You didn’t tell me what they were called.”

“You were too busy worrying about the warrant,” he told her. “But, seriously, Livia, I would love for you and Noah to stay forever. You have a couple of months before you have to be out of your place, so you could move your things gradually. We can put stuff in storage or sell it. We can get new furniture, paint, whatever you want. We can figure it out as we go along.”

“Are you willing to give me closet space?”

Rafael laughed. “I suppose I could be convinced to share.”

Olivia leaned forward, moving one of her hands to the base of his neck to pull him close for a deep kiss.

“Mm. I think I need more convincing,” Rafael teased when they pulled apart.

Olivia kissed him again before taking his hand and leading him back to the bedroom, now _their_ bedroom. “I think I know just the thing.”

* * *

The next morning, Rafael was awakened by a little body jumping on top of his. Opening his eyes, he saw Noah grinning at him. “Rafa! It’s morning!”

Rafael glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Six-thirty. So much for sleeping in.

“Noah, _mijo_ , _es temprano en la mañana_. Your Mami is still sleeping. Can you try to get some more sleep?”

Noah tilted his head, not understanding the Spanish, but realizing his mother _was_ still asleep. He was feeling kind of sleepy again, too. He saw his mother sleeping with her head on Rafael’s shoulder and decided she looked comfortable, so he moved to Rafael’s other side and mirrored her position, closing his eyes to do as Rafael had asked of him as he felt the older man curl his arm around him.

* * *

Nearly two hours later, Olivia woke to find that Noah had joined her and Rafael in the bed, and that both of her boys were still sleeping. She was curious how Rafael had convinced Noah to go back to sleep. He was apparently the Noah-whisperer and it only made her love him more. Deciding to wake Rafael first, she gently pressed her lips to his.

“ _Buenos días, mi amor_ ,” she greeted when she saw his eyes blink open.

“ _Buenos días, mi vida_ ,” Rafael replied, leaning over for another kiss.

“Mom? Rafa?” Noah asked sleepily, cuddling closer to Rafael and making both adults smile.

“Good morning, sweet boy,” Olivia said, running her hand over his hair.

“I’m hungry.”

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Why don’t you cuddle with your Mami for a bit while I make _pastelitos_?” he suggested as he reluctantly untangled himself from both Bensons.

“’Kay,” Noah replied, moving into the spot Rafael had vacated so he could cuddle with Olivia.

* * *

A short while later, as was putting the _pastelitos_ in the oven, Rafael heard footsteps behind him.

“Rafa, I’m hungry _now_ ,” Noah said.

Rafael scooped the little boy up in his arms. “Let’s see what we have, then, hmm, _mijo_?”

Still a little sleepy, Noah nodded and rested his head on Rafael’s shoulder. Rafael wasn’t sure what Noah-type food he had, but he would try to find something. When he saw some sliced apple packs as well as some other Olivia-approved Noah-type snacks, he smiled. “Looks like Lucy made sure to bring some of your snacks from home. How about apple slices and some juice?”

“Lucy takes good care of me. So does my mom.”

“They do.”

“So do you.”

“I try,” Rafael replied, grabbing the apple slices and the bottle of juice.

“You get him settled in the chair, I’ll pour his juice,” Olivia said, placing a plate and small cup on the counter.

Rafael nodded, doing as Olivia suggested.

“I like this,” Noah told them as Olivia brought him his juice.

“Like what, sweet boy?” Olivia asked.

“You and Rafa here with me in the morning.”

“I do, too,” Rafael told him, ruffling his hair before turning to Olivia. “Do you want to take a quick shower or stay out here with the boy?”

“How much longer until the _pastelitos_ are ready?”

“Over an hour. Sorry. I forgot how long they take.”

Olivia smiled at him before leaning down and stealing one of Noah’s apple slices, making the boy giggle. “I’ll just share Noah’s snack until then. You go take a shower; I’ll take one when you’re finished. Noah needs a bath this morning, too. But I think maybe we should wait until _after_ the _pastelitos_ for that.”

“Probably,” Rafael agreed, giving her a quick kiss before heading toward the bathroom.

* * *

While Rafael showered, Olivia took a seat next to her son to talk to him about moving in with Rafael.

“Noah, sweet boy, I need to talk to you about something,” she began.

“Am I in trouble?”

Olivia smiled and shook her head. “No, baby, you’re not. It _is_ about something you said last night, though.”

Noah was silent for a few moments while he thought back to what he might have said that could upset his mother. When he realized what it was, he looked down at his apple slices with a frown. “I know we can’t stay with Rafa forever. It was just a wish.”

“Well…Rafa and I talked about a lot of things last night, one of them being that wish.”

Noah looked back up. “He kissed you. He told me he loves us both very much.”

“He does. I love you both very much, too. How would you feel about coming to live here with Rafa?”

“You, me, and Rafa?”

“Yes. We would move in here. This would be our home.”

“I like it here.”

“Me, too. But you know would need to listen to Rafa the same way that you listen to me, right?”

“I already do.”

Olivia supposed that was true. His relationship with Rafael had changed. He’d dropped the ‘uncle’ moniker months ago and often looked to him for guidance, comfort, and support; and he listened when Rafael chastised him for something. Rafael had been around a lot more-often picking Noah up from school, even taking him a couple of times, when she or Lucy couldn’t. He had a standing spaghetti-night invitation, which he had only turned down once in the months since she’d told him about it. He’d made up for it by bringing take-out from Forlini’s the following Saturday, knowing how much Noah liked the burgers from there.

“Okay, my smart boy, I need you to do one more thing for me and Rafa then.”

“What’s that?”

“We need you to be very patient with us while we get everything moved. We have some time, so we’re going to bringing our things over the next couple of months. The things we need right away, we’ll get either today or tomorrow. Rafa and I need to go shopping for some new things, too. You can go with us or I can have Lucy come over to stay with you.”

“I want to go with.”

“Okay. We’ll talk to Rafa when he gets back from his shower.”

* * *

After breakfast, Olivia was surprised when Rafael offered to help with Noah’s bath, much to the delight of the little boy.

“I need to learn,” he told her with a shrug that told her he was slightly nervous about overstepping. “I figured the best time to do that would be when you’re here.”

“We have to get clean clothes and a towel first,” Noah told him, not bothering to wait for his mother to answer.

“I think we can handle that, can’t we, _mijo_?” Rafael replied, holding out his hand.

Olivia smiled as Noah hopped down from the chair and took Rafael’s hand, leading him to what she supposed was now his bedroom, not Rafael’s spare room. She followed silently, also trying to mentally put together a list of what she and Noah would need immediately in order to stay with Rafael while they slowly moved in the rest of their things.

* * *

Walking into the park, Noah grabbed a hand of each Olivia and Rafael, giggling when they lifted him into the air.

“Well, if it isn’t the trivia champions,” Amanda teased as she spotted them walking over to the swings.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook for that,” Olivia told her as Noah pulled Rafael away to push him on a swing.

Amanda shrugged. “It was worth it. Have you left his side since last night?”

“Not much.”

“So you two are…”

“A couple? Living together? Calling him my boyfriend seems so juvenile.”

“Lover?”

Olivia smiled and nodded, earning a grin from Amanda in return. “He’s still my best friend and I’m still amazed how well he knows me.”

“I saw him checking you out the day we met him.”

Olivia laughed. “You did not.”

“I did. I saw you checking him out, too. You two were both obviously attracted to one another from the start. Then you became friends and the attraction grew. Then one day you realized he had not only become your best friend, but the love of your life.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

“You and Barba aren’t the only ones who made some revelations last night.”

“1PP is just going to love SVU,” Olivia commented, earning a laugh from Amanda.

“The DA’s office, too,” Amanda reminded her.

“I’m trying not to worry about it. I know I’ll be able to come home to him no matter what they decide, but I would miss working with him.”

“We’ll figure it out. I better get going before Carisi calls me panicking.”

Olivia laughed. “Tell him I said hi.”

“I will.”

* * *

As he and Olivia looked at furniture later that afternoon, Rafael noticed Noah’s weight in his arms had grown. Looking over, he saw the boy was sleeping.

“Livia,” he said, getting his girlfriend’s attention. “Noah fell asleep.”

“Let him sleep for a bit. It’s been quite the morning,” she said, running a hand over her son’s hair. “Are you okay holding him?”

“I’ve got him,” Rafael confirmed with a nod. “Did you see something you like?”

“I saw this bookcase that I think would work well for Noah’s room. The one he has now is kind of beat up and I was thinking of getting rid of it anyway.”

“Show me.”

Olivia smiled and nodded, leading him to where she’d seen the shelf.

* * *

After purchasing a couple pieces of furniture and arranging to have it delivered, Olivia and Rafael decided to stop by the paint store while Noah was still asleep. As they were debating paint colors for his room, the boy in question stirred in Rafael’s arms.

“Rafa?” he asked, blinking his eyes open.

“You fell asleep, _mijo_ ,” Rafael told him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Can I pick out the color for my room?”

“Maybe if you ask your Mami nicely.

Turning his eyes on Olivia, Noah put on his best pleading expression. “Please, Mom?”

“Rafa and I get final approval,” she told him.

“Okay,” he agreed.

* * *

“You know you don’t have to carry him everywhere,” Olivia told Rafael as they approached a local Cuban restaurant that he had introduced her to a few weeks ago.

“I know.”

Olivia nodded, knowing what he meant without him having to spell it all out for her. It was a big weekend for all of them and Noah was in one of his cuddly moods, so he was taking full advantage of it. Before last night, he hadn’t felt like he had much of a reason to be able to hold the boy. Noah must have felt similarly about Rafael since he’d barely left the man’s arms all afternoon.

“We still love you, Mommy,” Noah told her with a smile.

“I know, baby,” she replied, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

Shifting Noah to his hip, Rafael slid his free arm around Olivia’s waist and pressed a kiss to her temple. Smiling, she leaned into his side and slid an arm around his waist as they continued walking.

* * *

After putting Noah to bed, Rafael found Olivia in their bedroom emptying one of the boxes they’d brought over.

“Looks better already,” he told her, earning him a smile in response.

“Rafa, what’s going to happen if the DA’s office says you can’t work with SVU anymore?” Olivia asked, taking a seat on the bed.

“I’ll find something else,” he said simply, taking a seat next to her and lacing their fingers together. “I could ask for another lateral transfer or for a transfer to another department. I get consulting and private practice offers all the time. I’m not worried about it, _mi vida_. I love working with you, but being able to come home to you and Noah every night is non-negotiable.”

“Okay, then what about being Noah’s father? What if he starts calling you ‘dad’ one day?”

“Honestly? I’d love that. I don’t expect things to be perfect all of the time, and I might fail spectacularly at it, but I love that kid. I don’t want him to ever doubt that. I want to be a better father to Noah than mine was to me.”

“You already are,” Olivia assured him, not sure how they’d gone from her being the one with doubts to him, but this was one thing she knew even more after today. Rafael and Noah were father and son in their hearts, even if it hadn’t been exactly established yet. “I know you’ve been calling him _mijo_ all day. I know what that means.”

“It just kind of slipped out.”

“It’s okay; I promise I’m not mad. Noah seems to like it, and I know it’s a term of affection not used for just anyone.”

“I love you both so much.”

Olivia smiled, nudging him up onto the bed so she could lie in his arms. “We love you, too. Very much,” she said, leaning over for a kiss. “We’ll figure everything out together. Right now, though, I want to make love with you and then fall asleep in your arms. Think you can handle that?”

“Most definitely,” Rafael murmured against her lips, rolling them over so she was sprawled underneath him.

* * *

The next morning, Lucia sat at the empty table and wondered why Rafael had arranged for one that seated four people instead of their usual two-person one or a booth. After ordering a coffee, she sent a text to her sister to see if she had spoken to Rafael lately. The woman had a way of getting information out of people, although Rafael had figured this out long ago and was usually immune to his tía’s charms. It never hurt to ask, though.

Before her sister could respond, she spotted him. He was holding a child on his hip with one arm while his other arm was curled tightly around a woman’s waist. He was talking to the hostess, who indicated where the table he’d reserved was, and his whole demeanor seemed different. He was more relaxed and he was smiling at something the woman had said, and to Lucia’s surprise, leaned over to give her a quick kiss. When they had gotten together last weekend, he hadn’t mentioned anything about a girlfriend, and last she knew, he was still in love with Olivia Benson.

“Mami,” Rafael said, gaining her attention and causing her to look up at him. Realizing who was with him, she smiled. “You remember Olivia?”

“Sergeant Benson, of course,” she said.

“It’s Lieutenant now,” Rafael corrected, followed quickly by Olivia's own correction.

“Please, call me Olivia.”

“Who’s this handsome boy?” Lucia asked, already enchanted by the way he seemed to be so comfortable with her son.

“This is Olivia’s son, Noah,” Rafael introduced. “Noah, this is my Mami, Lucia.”

“ _Hola_ ,” he replied with a smile.

“He learned that on the way here,” Olivia told her. “When he learned that you speak Spanish, too, he immediately began asking Rafa for Spanish lessons.”

“The best time to learn a language is when you’re young,” Lucia responded as they took their seats, Rafael moving a chair to the head of the table so Noah could sit between him and Olivia.

“Forgive her, it’s the teacher in her speaking,” Rafael told Olivia with a laugh.

“She’s right, though,” Olivia told him, causing Lucia to smile. “I’ve actually been looking at a Spanish-immersion class for Noah. But I haven’t liked any of the ones I’ve seen so far.”

“May I ask why?” Lucia inquired.

“I want him to learn another language, and I understand that speaking it both at school and at home is a good way to do that, but I don’t want his knowledge of English to suffer for it. A lot of these programs expect too much of the parents and it’s not fair to them or the child. So, for now, I’m leaning towards a local kindergarten that offers beginner Spanish classes. Rafa and I can supplement both his English and Spanish at home.”

“It sounds like you’ve done your research.”

“I have. I want to make sure Noah receives the best education that he can possibly get. Of course, now Rafa will have a say in it as well.”

“Rafa made _paste…pastel…_ ” Noah began, turning to Rafael when he couldn’t remember how to say the word.

“ _Pastelitos_ ,” he replied, demonstrating the proper pronunciation.

“ _Pastelitos_. He made those yesterday. He promised I could have pancakes today, though.”

Lucia laughed. “Well, it must be your lucky day. They have _the best_ pancakes here.”

“Better than Rafa’s?”

“Hmm. It’s been a while since he’s made pancakes for me, so I’d have to taste them again to be sure, but I don’t think so.”

Rafael rolled his eyes as Olivia laughed; both enjoying the way Noah seemed to be already bonding with Lucia.

* * *

After brunch, Olivia pulled Noah outside so he could run around for a bit before they headed home and also to give Rafael and Lucia some time alone.

“This is serious, then?” Lucia asked her son, not wanting him to get his heart broken.

“ _Ella es el amor de mi vida,_ Mami. Livia and Noah are moving in with me. She’s my best friend, _mi alma gemela_. I’m in love with her.”

“I knew that a long time ago, _mijo_.”

“She loves me, too. It’s all very recent, so I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen next, but I know that she’s it for me. Her and that boy.”

“It’s good to see you so happy, Rafi,” Lucia told him before reaching into her bag and pulling something out, sliding it across the table at him.

“ _Abuelita’s_ ring?” Rafael asked, quickly depositing the box in his jacket pocket.

“Something told me to bring it with me today. Your _Abuelita_ always used to tell me that the universe had a very special plan for you, but it was going to take a lot of patience and trusting of your instincts to make it happen. Maybe she’s influencing things from Heaven.”

Rafael smiled at that thought. “Maybe,” he agreed. “Do you think she’d have liked Olivia and Noah?”

Lucia reached over and patted her son’s hand. “She’d have loved them as much as I already do. She probably would have said something about how she keeps you on your toes.”

Rafael laughed and nodded. “Sounds like her. I miss her.”

“I know. I do, too. But she would want your Olivia to have her ring. I know it in my heart, _mijo_. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“I will, I promise,” Rafael said as he stood, bending to press a kiss to Lucia’s cheek. “ _Te amo_ , Mami.”

“ _También te amo_ , _mijo_ ,” Lucia replied. “Bring them again next week?”

“I’ll check and let you know. Maybe _we’ll_ have _you_ over. Since you challenged my pancake-making skills.”

Lucia laughed. “I’m sorry, _mijo_. But I would love to come over. Call me soon, okay?”

“Promise,” Rafael said, pressing another kiss to his mother’s cheek before walking outside to find Olivia and Noah. He wanted to take them home and watch a movie together cuddled on the couch.

* * *

“Rafa!” Noah said excitedly when he spotted the older man walk out of the restaurant.

“Noah!” Rafael replied, mimicking Noah’s tone and making him giggle.

“Is it movie time now?”

“Well, we have to change into comfier clothes first, but then yes, it’s movie time,” Rafael told him as he scooped him up into his arms.

“Comfier clothes?” Noah repeated as Rafael slid his arm around Olivia’s waist and began to walk with them.

“Like pajamas,” Olivia explained.

“I get to wear my pajamas in the afternoon? Even though I’m not sick?”

Rafael and Olivia laughed as they nodded. “Yes, absolutely,” Rafael replied.

“Can Eddie watch the movie, too?”

“ _Por supuesto_.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means ‘of course’.”

“Will you teach me more Spanish words?”

“Another day. Today is movie day.”

“Do I get to sleep in the big bed again tonight?”

“You can sleep in that bed every night if you want to.”

“Really?” Noah asked, looking to his mother for further confirmation.

“Really,” Olivia responded. “Is that the bed you want, sweet boy?”

“Yes, please.”

“I guess that’s decided, then.” Rafael said with a smile.

* * *

Once they arrived home and changed clothes, Olivia, Rafael, and Noah cuddled together on the couch. Rafael stretched his legs out on the new ottoman, which they had purchased while they waited for their new couch, with Olivia and Noah on either side of him, Olivia’s head resting on his shoulder and Noah’s on his chest. The boy had been allowed to select his movie first, settling on _Toy Story_ as Olivia settled the blanket around all of them. They were going to watch Noah’s movie, then Olivia’s, and then order pizza before finally watching Rafael’s. That was the extent of their plans for the long weekend and Rafael found he was happy with that. His two favorite people were with him and they weren’t leaving.

He also thought of the small box still tucked away in his jacket pocket. He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Olivia, but he also didn’t want to pressure her. He’d propose when the time was right. Maybe he’d even get another sign from his _Abuelita_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight disclaimer: my only experience with Spanish-immersion programs is the one my youngest niece was in. My feelings on that program, based on what I knew about it, are reflected in the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested, here's chapter 3. Special thanks to BaGi14 for the inspiration for this chapter :) I have some tentative plans for a chapter 4 if people want it, but I'm open to ideas for it as well :)
> 
> Rafael's suit is from 15x19 Downloaded Child
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Rafael knocked on Jack McCoy’s office door, disclosure paperwork in his hand. Olivia and Noah had picked out his suit today-simple black, along with a white shirt and a dark red patterned tie. He had suspenders on as well, though those couldn’t be seen underneath his vest and jacket. When he heard McCoy’s go ahead to enter, he opened the door and did his best to not appear as nervous as he felt.

“Rafael, this is a surprise,” McCoy said as he stood.

“I need to talk to you, figured I should do it right away,” Rafael replied as they shook hands.

Seeing the paperwork in Rafael’s hands, McCoy eyed him a little warily. “That’s disclosure paperwork, isn’t it?”

Rafael nodded, the look on McCoy’s face not doing anything for his nerves. “Yes…”

McCoy groaned, surprising Rafael.

“Jack?” Rafael asked, getting the feeling something was going on that he didn’t know about.

“You couldn’t have waited two more months, Rafael?”

Rafael shook his head, clearly confused. “Two more months? What? Why?”

“I assume Lieutenant Benson is in Dodds’ office now, submitting the same paperwork?”

“Yes,” Rafael confirmed. “Is that a problem?”

“Aside from the fact that Dodds bet me Yankees tickets and one-hundred dollars that you two would disclose before the end of the summer, no.”

Rafael simply stared at his boss in disbelief. He expected this kind of thing from the squad, but not his and Olivia’s bosses. “You and Dodds… _bet_ _on us_?” he finally managed to say.

McCoy laughed, clasping Rafael on the shoulder. “I’m afraid you two weren’t quite as discreet with your feelings as you thought. You’ve practically been attached at the hip for months. I’ve seen that silent communication thing you two do as well. Dodds told me about it, but I didn’t believe him until I saw you two in your office a few weeks ago. Half of this office, and according to Dodds, half the NYPD, already thought you were together.”

“I…have no idea what to say to that.”

McCoy laughed again. “At least tell me I’m invited to the wedding? Maybe you could give me a hint when you’re about to propose so I can get Dodds back?”

Rafael smiled, relieved that McCoy seemed to be fine with the disclosure. “That depends on whether or not Olivia and I are allowed to continue working together.”

“I’ll talk to Dodds. I don’t have a problem with it. I’m sure you two can keep things professional at work?”

“Yes.”

McCoy smiled as he took the disclosure paperwork from Rafael. “Good. Now, go win some more cases. You’re the best prosecutor here, Rafael. I expect that to continue.”

“Of course,” he said, and then paused as his smile grew. Upon McCoy’s confused look, he continued. “I already have a ring for Olivia, by the way.”

“Noted,” McCoy replied with a smile and a nod.

* * *

A few blocks over, Olivia sat in Dodds’ office looking at him in disbelief. He had just told her about the bet with McCoy and was positively grinning about winning Yankees tickets.

“Do you have a bet going with anyone about Rollins and Carisi?” she asked.

Dodds looked surprised, causing Olivia to smile and slide another set of papers across his desk. “Since you gained from my relationship with Rafael, I’m sure this means you’ll have no problem with the two of us, along with Carisi and Rollins, continuing to work together. You know how the NYPD feels about gambling during work hours, and I have a good team at SVU.”

Dodds sighed, knowing Olivia was right. Her detectives, along with ADA Barba, really were an excellent team. He’d seen it first hand and had been told as much by his son before he’d transferred out of the department. “I don’t see any reason to break up a winning team,” he conceded. “However, if you see _any_ possibility of a conflict of interest in a case because of this, I want your word that you’ll tell me. Oh, and do us both a favor and get Fin to take that sergeant’s exam.”

“I’ll do my best,” Olivia promised. “Thank you, Bill. Really. I know we haven’t always seen eye-to-eye on things, but I’m glad we can at least agree that SVU has a great team.”

Dodds nodded, smiling as he picked up the phone to call his old friend and made sure he kept up his end of the bet.

* * *

“So, how’d it go?” Amanda asked nervously as she saw Olivia walk into the squad room.

“They’re not going to break up our winning team,” Olivia answered with a smile.

“What about the DA’s office?” Carisi wondered.

“Why don’t we ask our ADA himself?” she replied, noticing Rafael walking toward them from the elevators.

“What law question do you have today, Carisi?” Rafael joked as he approached.

“Just wondering how your chat with McCoy went,” the younger man answered with a laugh.

“Well, apparently McCoy and Dodds had a bet going as to when Liv and I would disclose.”

“Yes, and I’ve been instructed to get Fin to take the sergeant’s exam,” Olivia added.

* * *

After chatting with her squad for a few more minutes, Olivia led Rafael to her office and immediately closed the door.

“You okay?” Rafael asked, pulling her into his arms the way he’d wanted to so many times before when he’d asked that question.

Olivia slid her arms around Rafael’s waist and rested her head on his shoulder before she let out a breath. “I can’t believe our bosses _bet_ on us.”

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Apparently half of the DA’s office and the NYPD thought we were already together. It all worked out in the end, though. We still get to work together and we don’t have to hide our relationship.”

Olivia raised her head and leaned over to brush her lips with Rafael’s. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

“I think we should up the bet for the next round,” McCoy said, leaning back in his chair as he spoke to his friend on the phone.

“You want to lose more?” Dodds asked with a laugh. “What’s the next round? Their engagement?”

“Yes. I’d say….two months from now? By the end of the summer.”

“That soon, you think?”

“You think they’ll wait longer?”

“I say he proposes at Christmas.”

McCoy smiled. Dodds didn’t know what he knew-that Rafael already had a ring. “Okay. What are we going to bet this time?”

“Dinner for two at that fancy new place uptown-Diamante’s…and let’s say…another hundred dollars?”

“You’re on."

"I’m looking forward to that dinner already, Jack.”

McCoy laughed. “You’ll have to buy it yourself, then, Bill, because I fully intend to win this round.”

* * *

A couple of months later, Olivia dropped the last box of items from her apartment in the living room of what was now her new home.

“Last box,” she announced to the two other occupants of the condo, who looked up from the box of kitchen items they’d been unpacking.

“Can we order pizza now?” Noah asked excitedly.

“Are all of your toys put away?” Rafael asked.

Noah rolled his eyes in a perfect imitation of Rafael. “Yes, Dad.”

“Why don’t you and your _dad_ order the pizza then?” Olivia said to him. “I’m going to unpack this box.”

Noah grinned at Rafael, who he had been calling ‘dad’ for about a week now. It had been Noah’s choice, which he’d told them about one Sunday afternoon when they were all cuddling together on the couch after brunch with Lucia. He’d also insisted they take a new family picture that day, to celebrate, and that picture now sat in a frame on one of the end tables in the living room. Rafael and Olivia had matching copies in their offices as well.

“Come on, _mijo_ , let’s order the pizza for your mami changes her mind,” Rafael encouraged, taking out his phone.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, Rafael walked into the store where he purchased all of his suits, Noah holding tightly to his hand. He, Olivia, and Noah were going to the wedding of one of Rafael’s cousins in a few weeks and they realized that Noah had outgrown the only suit he had. Wanting to surprise Olivia, Rafael had said he’d take care of it. Noah’s last suit had been off the rack of a local department store, but this one would be custom and match the one he was ordering for himself.

“Rafael,” one of the managers, a man named Oliver, said as he saw him approaching. “I see you brought a friend with you today.”

“My son, Noah,” Rafael corrected with a smile. “We have a wedding to go to in about three weeks and this one hit a growth spurt since the last time he had to wear a suit. I told his mom that I’d take care of getting him a new one.”

Oliver returned Rafael’s smile and then crouched in front of Noah. “I’m Oliver. It’s nice to meet you, Noah.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Noah replied, shaking the man’s hand as he’d been taught.

Standing, Oliver addressed Rafael again. “I assume you’re ordering a suit as well and they need to match?”

“That would be correct.”

“Perfect. Let’s get started, then.”

* * *

“I hate paperwork,” Olivia mumbled to herself as she stamped yet another piece of paper with her signature. She had decided that today was paperwork today and had instructed her squad not to interrupt unless it was absolutely necessary.

“Then maybe you should take a break,” the familiar voice of her boyfriend said from the doorway. She hadn’t even heard him open the door.

Looking up, she saw him standing in front of her desk with a bag from their favorite deli.

“If that’s not for me, I may have to take my son and move out,” she told him as she stood.

Rafael laughed as he pulled her into his arms. “I thought he was _our_ son, now? And you’re not moving out. You’re stuck with me.”

Olivia smiled, leaning over to kiss him. “Correct on both accounts, counselor.”

“But the food is for both of us. Amanda called with a question about a case, and mentioned you were trying to tackle a mountain of paperwork today. So I figured I’d swing by and bring you lunch, since you probably wouldn’t have eaten anything otherwise…and I wanted to see you.”

“You just saw me this morning at home,” Olivia teased.

“That was a long time ago, Livia.”

Olivia laughed, already feeling better than she had just a few minutes before. Rafael always did know how to bring her out of even her grumpiest moods and she loved him for it. After giving him another kiss, she led him over to the couch and he spread the contents of the bag out on the coffee table.

* * *

A couple of nights later, as they danced together to the music playing softly in their living room, Rafael looked over at Olivia and felt his heart burst with love for her. She was currently smiling at him and kept leaning over to steal kisses from him. The fact that _he_ was the one who made her so happy would never cease to amaze him.

“Rafa? Is everything okay?” he heard her ask.

“Just thinking,” he told her, rubbing a hand up and down her back as she nuzzled close, pressing kisses to his neck and jaw.

“Good thoughts, I hope,” she said.

Rafael brought her face up and kissed her deeply. “Always with you, _mi vida_.”

“I’m glad Amanda signed us up for trivia night.”

Rafael chuckled. “Me, too.”

Olivia searched his face, noticing the way his smile didn’t quite meet his eyes like it usually did. “Are you sure everything is okay?” she asked.

Rafael nodded. Suddenly he _knew_. “I have something for you. Close your eyes.”

Doing as Rafael instructed, Olivia closed her eyes. She felt his arms drop from around her and thought she heard the sound of something like a jewelry box opening.

“Open your eyes, Livia,” he said a few moments later.

Opening her eyes, Olivia saw him holding up a ring as he knelt on one knee in front of her.

“ _Te amo con todo mi corazón. Eres mi alma gemela. Quiero pasar el resto de mi vida contigo. Tú y nuestro hijo._ Livia, will you marry me?”

Olivia knew her answer right away. There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Rafael. “Yes, _mi amor_. Absolutely, yes.”

Rafael slid the ring onto her finger and then stood to pull her close for another deep kiss. “The ring was my _abuelita’s_ ,” he explained as he rested his forehead against hers.

“It’s beautiful.”

“So are you.”

“Who knew you were such a charmer?” Olivia asked with a laugh, placing her left hand on his chest so her new ring would sparkle in the lights and sliding her right hand around the back of his neck.

“Only with you,” he assured, kissing her again.

* * *

The next morning, Rafael stopped by McCoy’s office again.

“Rafael,” McCoy greeted with a smile. “What can I do for you?”

“Did you bet with Dodds again?”

“Uhh…”

Rafael laughed. “I asked Olivia to marry me last night.”

“I assume from your demeanor that she said yes.”

“She did.”

“Congratulations.”

“Oh, and by the way, you owe me that dinner for two at Diamante’s that you just won from Dodds.” When McCoy looked shocked, Rafael laughed again. “This office leaks like a sieve.”

“You make the reservation and I’ll make sure to put my credit card on file. You and Olivia can order whatever you want, it’s on me,” McCoy promised.

“I’ll let you know.”

* * *

Walking into the precinct, Olivia smiled as she absently played with her new ring. Amanda was the first one to notice it.

“Barba _proposed_?!” she exclaimed, grabbing Olivia’s left hand.

“He did,” Olivia confirmed, her smile growing. “We told Noah last night when he got home from the movies with Lucy.”

“Was he excited?”

“Yes. Very.”

“So…how did he propose?” Carisi asked as he and Fin joined them.

Olivia’s smile grew as she motioned for the three of them to follow her into her office, where she told them the proposal story.

* * *

A few blocks away, Rafael leaned back in his chair as he waited for his friend to answer the phone.

“Rafael,” the familiar voice said with a smile.

“I need your help.”

“The almighty ADA Rafael Barba needs _my_ help?”

Rafael laughed. “Yes, Rita, _I_ need _your_ help.”

“What do you need help with?”

“I want to adopt Noah. I need your help with the paperwork. Family law isn’t exactly my specialty.”

“Does Olivia know about this?”

“Sort of. We’ve talked about it, but since she has agreed to marry me, I figured she’d be okay with this next step, too.”

“Let me see what I can do, then. Congratulations, by the way. Am I invited to the wedding?”

“Depends on how much of a pain you are to me in the next few months,” Rafael replied, eliciting a laugh from Rita.

“Does helping you adopt your son count for anything?”

“I suppose it could.”

Rita laughed again. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be in touch soon.”

“Thanks, Rita.”

* * *

The following Wednesday, Noah was helping Olivia prepare for spaghetti night when he noticed the time on the microwave was later than his father usually came home.

“Where’s Dad?” he asked.

“Running late. He’ll be here soon, sweet boy.”

“Dad never runs late.”

“He does sometimes when he has court, which he did today.”

“But he’ll be home in time to eat?”

Rafael had missed dinner a couple of times over the last few weeks, but had always made it home in time for Noah’s bedtime story. They had explained to Noah that sometimes one or the other of them might need to stay late at work, but they would always do their best to make sure that one of them was home with him. If they couldn’t be home, they would call Lucy or Lucia to watch him.

“Is everything okay, sweet boy?” Olivia asked, concerned.

“You and Dad work a lot,” Noah answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Yes, but we do our best to make time for the three of us. We’re spending a long weekend at the resort in Miami in a couple of weeks for the wedding, remember? We’ll have lots of family time. Your dad and I are trying to get things wrapped up so we can make sure to leave on time tomorrow night. Your dad had court most of this week, but he promised to be home for dinner. Why don’t you go wash up and then you can help me set the table?”

Noah nodded, sliding off of the stool he’d been sitting on. As he was rounding the corner of the kitchen, he heard the door open and saw Rafael walk in. “Dad!” he said excitedly, running over to hug the older man.

“ _Mijo_ ,” Rafael said with a smile, bending to accept his son’s hug. “It smells good in here; that must mean your mami is almost finished with the spaghetti?”

“Yes,” Noah replied, then saw the plastic bag sitting on the floor next to Rafael. “What’s that?”

“Dessert. I think Eddie got into the ice cream overnight again.”

Noah giggled. “I _knew_ he wandered off last night.”

Rafael ruffled Noah’s hair. “Go wash up.”

Noah smiled and nodded, running down the hall to do as his parents instructed.

* * *

“Hi,” Rafael greeted, leaning over to kiss Olivia. “Sorry I’m late.”

Olivia kissed him again. “If you have strawberry ice cream in that bag, all is forgiven.”

Rafael laughed, opening the bag to show her the two cartons of strawberry ice cream he’d gotten. Plus the chocolate syrup that Noah had been asking for.

“You’re officially on bedtime duty if you give him that tonight.”

“Maybe we should hide the syrup for now.”

“Probably a good idea,” Olivia agreed, taking the syrup out of the bag and hiding it in a cupboard she knew Noah never looked in while Rafael put the ice cream in the freezer.

“All done!” Noah announced as he returned to the kitchen, grinning up at his parents.

“Good job, _mijo_. I’m going to go change and then I’ll meet you and your mami at the table.”

Noah nodded, shifting closer to his mother so she could hand him the plates.

* * *

After dinner, Rafael, Olivia, and Noah cuddled on the couch and shared a large bowl of strawberry ice cream. Smiling to herself, Olivia took a small scoop and spread it on Noah’s nose. The boy giggled, then reached across Rafael to Olivia and rubbed his nose with hers, getting the ice cream on her nose and causing her to laugh. Then they both turned on Rafael and rubbed their noses against his cheeks, and he joined in their laughter. The three of them sat there like that for a while longer before Rafael eventually took Noah to clean up and then put him to bed.

* * *

Walking back out to the living room, he saw that Olivia had cleaned up and replaced the ice cream with scotch for him and wine for her.

“That didn’t take long,” she commented, picking up her glass and taking a seat on the couch, tucking her legs beneath her.

“One story,” Rafael told her, taking a sip of his scotch before pulling out a large manila envelope from his briefcase.

“What’s that?”

“Open it.”

Setting her glass down, Olivia reached for the envelope, turning it over to release the clasp. Opening the tab at the top, she pulled out a set of papers. In bold letters at the top, it read **PETITION FOR ADOPTION**. Looking up, she could see the uncertainty in Rafael’s eyes, but also hope and always love.

“Rafa. Are you sure?”

“I told you when we got together that I’m sure.”

“I know, but this is a big step. Legally adopting Noah.”

“It’s really not,” Rafael said, taking one of her hands in his. “I’ve loved you both for years, Livia. We’ve been co-parenting him since before we even admitted our feelings to each other. I asked you both to move in with me the same night we got together. We’ve been a family for a while…I just want to make it legal. I’m a lawyer, remember? I like paperwork.”

Olivia smiled. “Let me guess…Rita?”

Rafael returned her smile as he nodded. “Yes. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Do you think she’d be willing to be Noah’s lawyer? Not that he needs one right now, but you said yourself that she’s the best family law lawyer you know. I know Langan helped with Noah’s adoption and all, but I trust Rita more than I trust Langan.”

“I’m sure she would, but I can ask her tomorrow.”

Olivia handed the papers back to Rafael, surprising him. “Sign the papers, Rafa. Unless you want to wait and ask Noah yourself?”

“Ask me what?” Noah asked from behind Rafael.

“ _Mijo_ , what are you doing out of bed?” Rafael asked as he turned to face his son.

“I’m thirsty.”

“I’ll get him some water,” Olivia said, standing to walk into the kitchen.

Crawling onto his father’s lap, Noah eyed the paperwork in his hands. He immediately recognized his name. “Why do those papers have my name on them? Do you not want me anymore? Am I being sent back?”

“Noah, _mijo_ , breathe,” Rafael instructed, using his free arm to hold him close. “What would make you think your mami and I wouldn’t want you anymore, or that you were being sent back?”

“Because…that’s what happened in my dream. You both left and I had to stay behind. No one wanted me anymore.”

“Your dad and I are _always_ going to want you, sweet boy,” Olivia assured, handing him the glass of water. “The paperwork has your name on it because your dad wants to adopt you. To be your dad, legally. He would be your dad in your heart and on paper, just like I’m your mom in your heart and on paper.”

Noah immediately brightened at Olivia’s words. Turning his head, he looked up at Rafael. “Is that true?”

“It is,” Rafael confirmed. “Is that what you want?”

Noah nodded, smiling when he felt Rafael press a kiss to the top of his head. He was slightly confused when Rafael moved him to sit next to Olivia on the couch and then reached into his briefcase. Then he saw Rafael pull out a pen and smooth the papers out on the coffee table, signing in a few spots before handing the pen to Olivia. After she signed them, she tucked them back into the envelope and handed them back to Rafael so he could put them back in his briefcase.

“Think you can go back to bed now?” Olivia asked.

“Will you both tuck me in again?”

“Sure,” Rafael agreed, standing and holding out his hand. “Come on, _mijo_. _Hora de dormir_.”

Noah nodded, sliding off of the couch to take his father’s hand and let him lead him back to bed.

* * *

After they were once again alone in the living room, Olivia curled up next to Rafael, smiling when she felt him begin to card his fingers through her hair.

“Mm. You’re going to put me to sleep if you keep that up.”

“Sleeping with you in my arms sounds really good right now.”

“Long day?”

“Court was a disaster. I got the conviction, surprisingly, but I felt like I was saying ‘objection’ far more than I ever have before.”

“No ‘argumentative…and ridiculous’?”

Rafael chuckled. “Argumentative, yes. Ridiculous, no. Not today.”

“Are you going to be able to get everything wrapped up before we go to Miami?”

“I should be able to. I only have one more case going to trial before we leave.”

“Did you get a hold of your cousin? I know you wanted to tell her about our engagement before everything got crazy with the wedding.”

“Sort of. She’s going to call me around lunchtime tomorrow. Court didn’t recess for very long today and she had a bunch of appointments so her day was pretty packed, too.”

“Then I think we should follow our son’s lead and go to bed,” Olivia said as she stood, carrying the now empty glasses of wine, water, and scotch into the kitchen before sliding an arm around Rafael’s waist and walking with him to their bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested, here's (the start of) the Miami trip. As always, I apologize if my Spanish is incorrect-I only have a pretty much basic understanding of the language. I know a lot of words and sort of understand sentence structure, but it's been a long time since I've had to conjugate verbs or create actual sentences off the top of my head. There's one sentence that I'm not 100% sure about, but hopefully I got it right :)
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoy (and comments are always welcome)! :)

* * *

“Rafi, what was so urgent that it couldn’t wait until you get here in a couple of weeks?” Rafael’s cousin asked.

“Luna, is that any way to greet your favorite cousin?” Rafael replied.

Luna sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said with a laugh. “Let me, how do you lawyers put it, rephrase? What’s the news that you just _had_ to share right away?”

Rafael laughed. “With that attitude, I’m not sure I should tell you.”

“Rafael.”

“Luna.”

“You’re being a pain. What is your news?”

“Olivia and I are getting married.”

“Did you give her _abuelita’s_ ring?”

“Yes.”

“Are you trying to upstage me?”

Rafael laughed again. “No. Never. I could never upstage the bride on her wedding day.”

“Yes, well, let’s hope this wedding day actually happens.”

“Luna.”

“What? Being dumped by your fiancé a month before your wedding isn’t exactly every little girl’s dream.”

“That was five years ago, and the person who stood by your side through all of it is the one you’re marrying this time.”

Luna smiled at the thought of her fiancé. “The one I should have been with all along.”

“Exactly. But I wanted to tell you before all the wedding festivities begin. Certain members of _nuestro familia_ might…” Rafael searched for the right word to describe how his _tías_ and some of his _primos_ might react when they found out that not only was he engaged, he gave the woman he was going to marry his _abuelita’s_ ring.

“Lose their minds?” Luna supplied. “Their precious Rafi finally found the love of his life and he proposed with his _abuelita’s_ ring.”

“ _That’s_ the part I’m _not_ looking forward to.”

“Can I tell Santino?”

“He’s your fiancé. Of course you can tell him. I just don’t want _las tías_ to overwhelm Olivia, or Noah, right away when we get there.”

“I’ll see what I can do. Santino is pretty good at calming them down.”

“Thank you.”

“You confirmed your reservations, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I look forward to meeting Noah and Olivia. I need to go, but congratulations and I’ll talk to you again soon.”

* * *

Having spoken to his cousin, Rafael contemplated how much it would cost to extend the trip to Miami to a week instead of just a few days. First, he had to get Olivia to agree to it. He picked up his phone to call her, but dropped it back onto the desk when she walked into his office instead. Standing, he pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss before noticing the bag she held in her hand.

“What’s that?” he asked, secretly hoping it was food.

“Yes, it’s food,” Olivia replied with a laugh, reading in his eyes what he hadn’t said aloud. “I know you had a busy morning.”

“You’re the best,” he told her, giving her another kiss.

“I also wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Work-related?”

“No. About our trip.”

Rafael took the bag and began setting the food out on the table. “What about it?”

Olivia took the seat next to Rafael and unwrapped her sandwich. “So, turns out I have more than enough vacation accrued to be able to take off for just over a week. I was thinking maybe we could extend our trip a couple of days and then have a few days to relax at home, just you, me, and Noah…”

Swallowing the bite of food he’d taken, Rafael looked over at his fiancée with an amused expression. “I think Noah’s right-you _can_ read my mind.”

“Did you look into renting a car while we’re there?”

“Already booked. We can look into extending both the resort reservation and the rental car after lunch.”

Olivia smiled and nodded. She was already looking forward to spending more time with her boys. “So, did you finally get to talk to Luna?”

* * *

The morning they were to leave for Miami, Olivia double-checked to make sure they had everything they’d need while Rafael got Noah ready for the day.

“Rafa, where did you put the suits for you and Noah?” Olivia asked, walking into the kitchen where Rafael was cutting some fruit for Noah’s breakfast.

“They’re hanging in garment bags in the closet. Do you want me to get them?”

“Yes, please. I’ll bring these to Noah.”

Rafael nodded, pressing a kiss to Olivia’s cheek as he passed her to walk to their bedroom.

* * *

Once she and Rafael took their seats on the plane, with Noah buckled into his seat between them, Olivia reached into her bag and took out a book for Noah to read. She went to hand him the book and noticed that he and Rafael were already deep in conversation about something Lego-related that she didn’t really understand. Placing the book on her lap, she smiled as she listened to her boys talk and admired the new ring that had recently joined her engagement ring.

When they had gone to see Judge Linden about signing off on Rafael’s adoption of Noah, she had asked if there was anything else she could do for them. After exchanging a look with Olivia, Rafael had turned back to the judge and asked how she felt about marrying them. Noah had shouted excitedly at the idea as Judge Linden had replied that she’d be more than happy to do just that.

After he placed a quick phone call to his mother, and Olivia placed one to Fin, they shared with the judge how Noah had been doing since she’d last seen him while they waited for their witnesses to show up. Rafael had been surprised when Lucia showed up with rings, but she had explained that they were his grandparents’ wedding rings and said that they would want him and Olivia to have them.

* * *

The plane ride went better than Olivia expected. Noah had whined a little when his ears popped due to the altitude change as the plane took off, and again when it landed, but overall, he had been well-behaved. As they waited for their luggage, Olivia could tell the early morning had begun to take its toll on him. Catching Rafael’s eye, she nodded at their little boy. After setting the car seat he’d been holding on the luggage cart that Olivia had gotten, Rafael turned to his son.

“Come here, _mijo_ ,” he said, lifting the boy into his arms.

Noah wrapped his arms and legs around Rafael, resting his head on his shoulder.

* * *

By the time they arrived at the resort nearly an hour later, Noah had fallen asleep. Knowing he’d been up nearly two hours before his usual time, too excited for the trip to sleep, Olivia and Rafael let him sleep while they checked in and brought their things to their room.

When she unlocked the door to the room she, Rafael, and Noah would be staying in, Olivia was surprised to see that it wasn’t a standard hotel room, but a two bed-two bath suite complete with living room and a small kitchen. It looked more like an apartment than a hotel room.

“Rafa, this must have cost a small fortune,” she admonished, though she couldn’t deny she loved it.

“Not really. Luna knows the manager here, and she gave her a good rate on a block of rooms. When we extended our reservation, the suite we had originally booked wasn’t available, but they offered me this one at a discounted rate, so I took it.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you.”

Olivia smiled, leaning over to kiss him. “Charmer,” she said when they broke apart.

“Only with you, _mi vida_ ,” Rafael replied, and then indicated the sleeping child in his arms. “Should we wake him?”

“I don’t think we need to yet. Let me figure out which room is going to be his and then you can lay him down.”

* * *

A short while later, after Rafael had laid Noah down on what would be his bed for the remainder of the trip and then gone to get the rest of their luggage, he and Olivia worked on waking the sleeping child.

“Noah, sweet boy, wake up, we’re here,” Olivia told him, running a hand over his hair.

Noah blinked open his eyes and sat up. “I’m hungry,” he said a few moments later, eliciting laughter from his parents.

Rafael looked at his watch. “Luna should be here in a couple of hours, so I think you could probably have a snack,” he replied as he stood and held out his hand. “Why don’t you and I go see what we can find while your mami takes a shower?”

“Okay,” Noah agreed easily, sliding off the bed to take his father’s hand.

Olivia smiled as she watched them. Rafael might not always think it, but he was a great father and she had started to wonder how he would feel about expanding their little family. Shaking her head, she tried to clear those thoughts. Now wasn’t the time or place for that conversation. After quickly setting out an outfit for Noah to wear to dinner, she walked across the suite to the bedroom she was sharing with Rafael to pick out her own outfit.

* * *

Walking into the gift shop, Noah immediately spotted the snacks. He studied them for a moment before choosing a pack of Goldfish crackers and turning back to his father.

“Can I get these, Dad?” he asked.

“Sure,” Rafael agreed as he grabbed a small bag of chocolate covered almonds for himself and a fruit and nut bar for Olivia.

“Is _Abuelita_ here yet?” Noah wondered as he watched Rafael pay for the snacks they’d chosen.

“She should be. We can call her when we get back to the room,” Rafael answered, holding out his hand to his son and noticing the boy was distracted by some nearby stuffed animals. “Come on, _mijo_ , we can come back later to look at the other stuff.”

Noah sighed, but nodded, taking his father’s hand once more and letting him lead him back to their room.

* * *

As they were walking down the hall to their room, Noah spotted his grandmother. She was talking to another lady he didn’t recognize.

“ _¡Abuelita!_ ” he shouted excitedly, freeing his hand from Rafael’s grip and running down the hall toward the older woman.

“Noah!” Rafael called after him, catching him around the waist about half-way to his destination. Setting the boy down on his feet, Rafael turned him around as he crouched down. “ _Mijo_ , you can’t go running off like that. Especially not here. This isn’t the park.”

“But I saw _Abuelita_.”

“I know, but you still can’t run off like that. If you see someone you know and you want to say hi, you have to tell me or your mami, okay?”

Noah nodded. “I’m sorry, Dad,” he said, tilting his head to the side before speaking again. “Can I still have my snack?”

Rafael laughed, ruffling the boy’s hair as he stood and took his hand once more. “ _Sí, mijo_. Let’s go say hi to _Abuelita_ and then we’ll go back to our room so you can have your snack.”

* * *

“Mami,” Rafael said as he and Noah approached.

Lucia turned at the sound of her son’s voice and smiled when she saw him and Noah. Bending, she accepted a hug from Noah first before standing and accepting one from Rafael.

“Rafael Eduardo, it’s about time you accepted an invitation to a family function,” a new voice playfully chided. Rafael rolled his eyes before turning to the owner of the voice and bending to press a kiss to her cheek.

“ _Hola, Tía_ Maria,” he said with a smile, picking up Noah and settling him on his hip before turning back to his aunt. “This is my son, Noah. _Mijo_ , this is your _Abuelita_ ’s sister, _Tía_ Maria.”

“ _Hola_ ,” Noah greeted with a tentative smile. He suddenly felt very shy so he laid his head down on his father’s shoulder.

“ _Él es adorable_ ,” Maria told Rafael.

Rafael flashed her a smirk. “ _Por supuesto que lo es, es mi hijo_ ,” he replied.

Maria and Lucia both laughed. The latter reached out and ran a hand over her grandson’s hair. “Be good for your mom and dad, _nieto_ , and I’ll see you soon,” she told him, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“ _Te amo, abuelita_ ,” Noah replied.

“ _También te amo, nieto_.”

“Come on, _mijo_ ,” Rafael said to Noah. “We should get back before your mami starts to worry.”

“I don’t think my legs remember how to work,” Noah told him.

Rafael laughed as he turned and walked down the hall with Noah still in his arms. “Hmm. I bet a snack will cure that.”

* * *

“You never told me how adorable Rafael and his son are together,” Maria said to her sister as she watched her nephew and great-nephew walk down the hall.

Lucia smiled. “You should see them with Olivia. Rafi’s eyes light up in a way I’ve never seen them. They make him, and me, incredibly happy.”

“Is Olivia a lawyer like Rafael?”

“No. She’s a police lieutenant. She and Rafi met at work.”

“I look forward to meeting her. She keeps him in line?”

Lucia laughed and nodded. “Oh, yes.”

* * *

When her boys arrived back in the hotel room, Olivia was surprised to see Rafael carrying Noah again.

“He was so hungry that his legs forgot how to work,” Rafael explained at Olivia’s puzzled expression, depositing Noah onto one of the chairs at the table.

Olivia laughed. “Must have been terrible.”

Noah nodded as Rafael handed him the bag of Goldfish crackers. “Dad said I could still have my snack, even though all I tried to do was get to _Abuelita_.”

At this bit of information, Olivia turned her husband with a confused look.

“Noah saw my mom and got a little excited. He let go of my hand and tried to run toward her. I caught him, we had a little chat, and then I let him say hi to her. He also met my aunt, whom my mother was talking to when Noah spotted her,” Rafael explained.

“ _Tía_ Maria. She looks kind of like _Abuelita_ ,” Noah said from the table.

“I think I’m going to need a family tree to reference to keep track of all of your relatives, Rafa,” Olivia joked, though she knew who Maria was.

“I’ll print one out for you, _mi vida_ ,” Rafael replied with a laugh, giving her a quick kiss before walking into their room to find an outfit for dinner.

* * *

Once Noah had finished his snack, Olivia helped him clean up before taking him into his room to help him change into his outfit for dinner. She had selected a pair of black pants and a gray polo shirt. Noah wasn’t a fan.

“Why can’t I wear a t-shirt?” he asked.

“Because this is a nice restaurant, not like the diner we went to last weekend,” Olivia replied. “Your dad is going to be dressed similarly.”

“Can’t I just stay here with _Abuelita_?”

“ _Abuelita_ has her own plans tonight. Now, be the sweet boy I know you are. Your dad’s cousin and her fiancé should be here soon.”

“Can I have an extra bedtime story tonight if I’m good?”

“I’m not going to bribe you to be good, Noah.”

Noah sat on the bed and frowned as Olivia put on his socks and shoes. Sighing, she finished tying the shoes and then took a seat next to her son on his bed.

“I know it’s been a long day, sweet boy, but we’re going to have a full day at the beach tomorrow, remember? Your dad promised to take you swimming in the ocean and build sandcastles with you.”

“You will too?’ Noah checked.

Olivia nodded. “I will.”

“Can I have a hug?”

Olivia smiled, hugging him close. “Always, my sweet boy.”

“Sure, I rescue you when your legs stop working and it’s your mami who gets all the hugs,” Rafael joked from the doorway.

Noah looked over at his father, who was wearing black pants and a light blue button down shirt with the top two buttons undone, along with a black blazer. Like himself, he also had on dress shoes. Giggling, he slid off the bed and ran over to his father, wrapping his arms tightly around the older man’s waist.

Pressing a kiss to the top of his son’s head, Rafael noticed his wife wasn’t ready yet. “Livia, you should go get dressed,” he told her. “I’m challenging this one to a game of war while we wait for Luna.”

“Good luck, he’s pretty good,” Olivia replied, giving him a quick kiss and running a hand down his arm before walking back to their room to finish getting ready.

* * *

Looking at herself in the mirror, Olivia straightened her blouse before slipping into the low-heeled sandals she had purchased during a recent shopping trip with Amanda. Touching her fingers to the necklace that Rafael had surprised her with a few weeks ago, she smiled to herself. The gold infinity necklace went perfectly with the gold rings she now wore on her left hand. For her outfit, she had paired a dark red blouse with a black a-line skirt and black low-heeled dress sandals. She had left her hair to fall in waves around her face and applied a light amount of makeup. Smiling to herself, she followed the sounds of the intense card game going on in the dining room.

* * *

Just as the boys finished their card game, with Rafael winning this round, all three Barbas heard the sound of a knock at the door.

“That’s probably Luna,” Rafael said, standing and walking over to the door. When his suspicions were confirmed after looking through the peephole in the door, he opened it to admit his cousin and her fiancé. He was surprised when he saw a little girl who looked to be a little younger than Noah with them.

Seeing the confused look on her cousin’s face, Luna quickly explained. “Rafi, you remember Santino’s and my daughter, Selena?”

Rafael knew Luna and Santino had had a child together, but for whatever reason, his brain hadn’t realized that it had been nearly four years since then. Shortly after the two had admitted their feelings and gotten together, Luna found out she was pregnant. Although the pair had been surprised, they decided to keep the baby and had been going strong as a family of three ever since. It made him wonder if Olivia would be open to adopting another child, or even trying for one of their own. They weren’t as young as Luna and Santino had been when they had Selena, but it was still a possibility. He made a mental note to talk to her about it when they returned to New York.

“Of course,” he answered a few moments later, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. “I just didn’t know you were bringing her.”

“My mom offered to watch her, but we thought it might be nice for Noah to have someone his age there,” Luna told him.

Before Rafael could say anything else, he felt a small hand slip into his on his right side and an arm slip around him on his left. Turning his head, he saw Noah and Olivia standing on either side of him. Tightening his grip on Noah’s hand and sliding his own arm around Olivia’s waist, he turned back to his cousin and her family. “Luna, Santino, Selena, this is my wife, Olivia, and our son, Noah.”

“Wait, _wife_?” Luna asked in surprised. “Last I heard, you had just proposed!”

Olivia shared a smile with Rafael before she answered. “It was kind of a last minute thing. We plan to have a bigger celebration when we get back home.”

“Well, congratulations,” Santino said, giving his fiancée a moment to collect herself. “You’ll have to let us know when that is so we can plan a trip to New York.”

“We will,” Rafael promised, slipping his arm from around Olivia’s waist to grab her hand and lace their fingers together. “Let’s go.”

* * *

After dinner, as he and Olivia sat talking with Luna and Santino, Rafael looked over to see that Noah and Selena were chatting amongst themselves as they colored a second set of coloring pages that the staff had brought them.

“Livia,” he said, turning his head to whisper in his wife’s ear. “You should take a picture.”

Olivia turned to look at the two children and nodded. She was further away from them and it was less likely they’d notice her taking the picture than Rafael. Taking out her phone, she did as her husband suggested before placing it back in her purse.

“So, how did you two meet?” Santino wondered.

He’d known Rafael for years and had never seen him come close to settling down, let alone having a family. As far as he knew, the man had only been in love once before and had had his heart crushed by the woman so he had been very careful not to let anyone get close to doing that again.

“At work,” Rafael said, sharing a smile with Olivia.

“He’s the ADA for my department, the Special Victims Unit.”

“They let you continue working together, even though you’re in a relationship?” Luna asked.

“Funny story. When we disclosed our relationship, we found out that our bosses were betting on us. So we used it to our advantage. Apparently they really didn’t care as long as there was no conflict of interest. I’m the commanding officer, so I can delegate and it makes it easier. Two of my detectives are in a relationship as well, so our bosses just love my department right now.”

“It was kind of entertaining to see the look on the DA’s face when I told him Liv and I had gotten married, meaning he _and_ Liv’s boss lost the bet to one of her detectives.”

“One of the ones in the relationship?” Luna guessed.

“Yes.”

“I’ll never forget the look on Dodds’ face,” Olivia said with a laugh. “To lose to Carisi of all people.”

“Why is that a bad thing?” Santino wondered.

“It’s not, really. Carisi just….has a lot of questions, sometimes. Mostly for Rafael. Carisi is attending law school at night.”

“I’ve seen him practically interrogate Dodds a couple of times. Liv had to rescue him one time, and Amanda did the other,” Rafael added.

“He’s a good guy, and a good detective, though,” Olivia told them before changing the subject. “Rafa said you two were friends for a long time, but how did you meet?”

“At school,” Luna answered. “We were in the same class and got partnered up for one of those get to know your classmates projects. We were in our first year of college. He had just transferred from another school at the beginning of the school year and didn’t know a lot of people. We became best friends, but I had no idea he felt anything romantic for me.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.”

Rafael rolled his eyes but leaned over to press a kiss to her temple.

“I thought I was going to marry my college boyfriend, his name was Mario and he was two years older than me. I met him around the same time I met Santino. We moved in together after I finished college and I thought he would eventually propose, but after six years together, during which he rarely wanted to talk about our future together, I decided to stop wasting my time and broke up with him. I moved to New York for a few years, thought a change of scenery and having four seasons would be nice. I learned to accept the frigid winters, and I dated a few guys while I was there, but nothing that lasted more than a year.”

“How long did you live in New York for?” Olivia wondered.

“About five years. I moved to Miami in June with my then-fiancé, Roberto. We started planning the wedding and everything seemed to be fine until about a month before it was supposed to take place. He told me that he had reconnected with his high school sweetheart, apparently they had a kid together, or so she told him, I don’t know if that was the truth or not, and he wanted to give things with her another chance. So I started looking at places of my own, but without any income from my new job yet, it was kind of hard to do. I was ranting about it to Santino one day and he offered his spare room to me since his roommate had just moved out. I accepted, we began to spend more time together, and the rest is history.”

* * *

Just over an hour later, as he and Olivia were finishing up their conversation with Luna and Santino, Rafael felt the weight against his left side grow. Noah had moved to sit next to him a little while before and had been resting his head on his chest while the adults talked. Looking down, he realized that the boy had fallen asleep. Luna had fallen asleep in Santino’s lap not long ago, so he wasn’t entirely surprised.

“We should probably get this one to bed,” he said, indicating Noah.

“I’m glad we were able to get together before things start to get crazy with the wedding,” Luna said as she stood, smiling as she watched Rafael shift Noah onto his lap before standing himself.

“It was nice to finally meet you,” Olivia said to Luna as they hugged.

“You, too. We were going to try and head down to the beach tomorrow ourselves, so maybe we’ll see you there.”

Olivia nodded, saying goodbye to Santino as Rafael said goodbye to Luna before following her boys out of the restaurant.

* * *

Once they were back in their hotel room, Rafael went to Noah’s room to get him ready for bed while Olivia went to hers and Rafael’s to change into her pajamas. She had just crawled into bed when Rafael returned from their son’s room.

“He still asleep?” she asked as Rafael quickly changed his clothes.

“Stayed sleeping the whole time,” he replied.

“I didn’t even think to pack a nightlight for him,” Olivia realized, silently cursing herself for forgetting such a simple thing.

“I left the hall light on and the door slightly open,” Rafael told her. “We can go into town tomorrow and buy him one. I left our door slightly open as well, just in case he needs us. You’re not a bad mom because you forgot a nightlight, Livia. Noah is four, and he knows where to find us.”

Olivia nodded as Rafael joined her in the bed and then pulled her into his arms. Curling into his side, she pillowed her head on his shoulder and laid her arm over his stomach as his kept her close.

Rafael tipped Olivia’s face up for a light kiss. “I love you, Olivia Barba.”

Olivia smiled, leaning in for another kiss. “I love you, too, Rafael Barba.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Miami, and Rafael's family, this chapter. Next chapter will likely be the end of the Miami trip as I have other plans for Olivia and Rafael ;) 
> 
> I've made them a bit younger than they are in canon (based on Noah's age) because why not. It also works better for my plans. 
> 
> Special thanks to BiGi14 and thousand_miles for being my sounding boards. And another special thank you to everyone who has taken the time to comment on this story (especially those who have commented on every chapter). The comments fuel the muse :)
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

The next morning, Rafael woke to the feeling of a small body curling up next to him. Opening his eyes, he saw his son laying his head on his shoulder. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was still too early for any of them to be awake.

“Everything okay, _mijo_?” he asked softly.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Noah replied.

Understanding, Rafael curled his arm around his son to keep him close and then closed his eyes again. Both father and son were asleep within minutes.

* * *

Later that morning, as they walked through the breakfast buffet line, Rafael saw Noah frowning at most of the choices.

“What’s wrong, _mijo_?” he asked.

“They don’t have blueberry pancakes **_or_** _pastelitos_. Not even chocolate chip pancakes,” Noah answered.

“They have waffles.”

“Not blueberry.”

Hearing the conversation, Olivia motioned for them to follow her. The three of them took seats at a nearby table to continue the conversation so they wouldn’t stop the line from moving.

“What’s wrong, sweet boy?” she asked. Noah wasn’t usually this picky about what he was going to eat unless he was overtired or upset about something.

“I don’t want any of the stuff they have here.”

“Is this about going into the ocean today?” Rafael asked, suddenly remembering a conversation they’d had a couple of weeks ago about it, when the boy had expressed his apprehension about it.

“What if I don’t want to go in the ocean?”

“Then you don’t have to. But I think you’ll like it. Your mami and I will be right there beside you.”

“You could just put your feet in,” Olivia suggested. “Then if you want to go in further, we can. If you don’t, we won’t.”

Noah was silent for a moment as he contemplated his next question. “What if I still want _pastelitos_?” he asked, eliciting laughter from both of his parents.

“I think I might be able to do something about that,” Rafael said, taking out his phone.

“Who are you calling?” Olivia wondered.

“My mom. She mentioned something about going over to _Tía_ Maria’s this morning for brunch.”

* * *

Sitting in her sister’s kitchen, drinking coffee and chatting with her and Luna, Lucia was surprised to hear her phone ring. Taking it out of her pocket, she saw her son’s name on the screen.

“ _Hola,_ Rafi,” she answered.

“ _Hola,_ Mami,” Rafael replied. “It seems _tu nieto_ is having a craving for _pastelitos_. _Tía_ Maria wouldn’t happen to have made some, would she?”

“They’re in the oven now,” Lucia answered. “Hold on a second, Rafi.”

Having heard Lucia’s side of the conversation, Maria was intrigued. “Rafi wants _pastelitos_?” she asked.

“Always,” Lucia answered with a laugh. “But apparently _mi nieto_ wants them, too.”

“Invite them over,” Luna suggested, eager to see her cousin again. She and Rafael had always been close, despite a five year age gap between them. She had to admit that he actually was her favorite cousin, but she’d never tell him that.

“Yes. I want to meet Olivia,” Maria agreed.

“Rafi?” Lucia said, getting her son’s attention again. “Luna and your _tía_ Maria want you, Olivia, and Noah to come over.”

Rafael was silent for a moment and Lucia heard him saying something in the background followed by Noah’s excited response followed by Olivia’s calmer one.

“We’ll be there soon,” he told her.

* * *

Looking through her clothes, Olivia found she had no idea what to wear to brunch with Rafael’s family. She hadn’t been expecting to meet most of them until the day of the wedding and she had a dress packed for that.

“Livia, what you’re wearing is _fine_ ,” Rafael assured her, leaning against the doorjamb as he watched her look at the clothes laid out on their bed.

“Rafa, I’m not meeting your family wearing old jean shorts and a tank top,” Olivia replied.

“I guarantee you my cousins will all be wearing similar outfits.”

“No.”

Rafael sighed, walking closer to get a better look at what she had laid out. He selected the dark denim Capri pants and a black button down blouse and then handed them to her. “Keep the tank top. I like that color on you,” he told her, kissing her cheek.

Olivia smiled, turning her face for a real kiss before walking into the bathroom to apply some makeup and change her clothes.

* * *

A few minutes later, Olivia emerged from the bedroom dressed in the outfit Rafael had chosen, with the blouse left open to reveal the emerald green tank top she’d been wearing all morning and wearing black ballet flats. She saw Rafael had changed from his t-shirt to a dark grey polo and Noah was now wearing a plain blue t-shirt instead of the patterned one he’d been wearing earlier. Both still had shorts and sandals on as well.

“You two didn’t have to change on my account,” she told them, but was secretly pleased.

Rafael shrugged. “We decided we wanted to.”

Olivia smiled. “Okay, boys, let’s go, then.”

* * *

When they arrived at Maria’s house, Olivia was surprised that not only was the door unlocked, but that Rafael walked right in. Taking a deep breath, Olivia followed her husband and son into the house, making sure the door closed behind her.

“ _Mija_ , you look beautiful,” Lucia said, hugging Olivia in greeting before turning to Rafael, then Noah, and doing the same.

Reaching for Olivia’s hand, Rafael laced their fingers together before he took Noah’s hand in his free one and led them toward the kitchen.

* * *

After taking the _pastelitos_ out of the oven, Maria set the pans on the stove to cool and turned to see her nephew, his son, and the woman she assumed was Olivia walk into the kitchen. She watched Rafael greet Luna, then help Noah up onto a nearby stool before sliding his arm around Olivia’s waist and pull her close to his side and pressing a kiss to her temple. The woman seemed to relax at this action, telling Maria it was familiar, and slide her arm around Rafael’s waist.

“Is that _Abuelita_ ’s ring?!” she heard her youngest daughter, Angela, ask, followed by a commotion as her other siblings immediately rushed toward her and Rafael.

* * *

Olivia hadn’t even thought about the fact that it was her left arm that she had wrapped around Rafael’s waist and that they had their backs to the table full of his cousins. She wasn’t used to so many voices talking at once.

Feeling Olivia tense, Rafael turned pleading eyes on his aunt.

“ _¡Sufficiente!_ ” Maria shouted. “ _Retroceder o no pastelitos_.”

“More for me,” Noah said, understanding ‘no _pastelitos_ ’, and eliciting laughter from the other adults in the room.

“He’s definitely Rafi’s son,” Luna joked. “He thinks with his stomach.”

“I’m well aware,” Olivia replied with a laugh.

“I apologize for _mis hijos_ ,” Maria said as she rounded the counter. “I’m Maria, Rafi’s aunt and Lucia’s sister.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Olivia. Most people call me Liv.”

“If Rafi gave you my mother’s ring, you must be very special to him.”

“ _El amor de mi vida_ ,” Rafael told her.

“ _Cásarte con ella_ ,” Maria replied.

“ _Él hizo_ ,” Olivia said as she held up her left hand.

Maria looked momentarily surprised, causing Luna and Rafael to laugh.

“Liv understands _everything_ you just said to Rafi,” Luna informed her mother.

“It was a surprise to Rafael as well, so don’t feel too bad,” Olivia added.

“Ah, so she keeps you on your toes. Good,” Maria said with a laugh, eliciting an eye-roll from Rafael.

“ _Tía_ Maria?” Noah asked, gaining the older woman’s attention.

“Yes, _hombrecito_?” she asked, already charmed by the little boy.

“Did you make any apple _pastelitos_? Those are my favorite.”

Maria smiled. The boy reminded her so much of Rafael when he was a child.

“I did. Would you like one?”

“ _Sí, por favor_.”

“We’re teaching him a few simple words and phrases in Spanish,” Rafael explained.

Maria nodded, focusing her attention on the little boy. “Are your legs working today?”

Noah giggled and nodded. “I think so,” he said.

“Then shall we go find you an apple _pastelito_?”

Noah nodded again, taking Maria’s outstretched hand and walking over to where the _pastelitos_ were cooling.

“I think our son just made another new friend,” Olivia commented to Rafael, watching Noah and Maria together.

“He’s a charmer. Just like me. Or so you tell me.”

Olivia laughed, pinching his side. “You’re lucky I love you,” she told him.

“Of that I’m well aware,” Rafael replied.

“While our son is occupied, why don’t you introduce me to the rest of your family?”

* * *

After brunch with Rafael’s family, the three Barbas returned to the resort and ventured out to the beach.

“What do you think, _mijo_ , sandcastles or ocean?” Rafael asked Noah.

“Sandcastles,” he replied.

“Good,” Olivia said. “I think I ate way too much to even _think_ about going into the water right now.”

Rafael chuckled. “Go ahead and relax, _mi vida_. Noah and I will build you a sandcastle.”

“That sounds amazing.”

* * *

Watching her boys build the sandcastle, Olivia smiled as she thought about how comfortable Rafael was with Noah now versus when the two had first met. It also caused her to think again about how Rafael would feel about expanding their family. They were in their early forties, so a biological child wasn’t entirely out of the question, but she wouldn’t mind adopting another child, either. Despite his fears of being like his own father, Rafael was a wonderful father and there was no one else she would rather have by her side raising Noah, possibly more children if he was open to the idea.

* * *

Once he and Noah had finished the sandcastle, Rafael looked over at his wife, who was currently lounging on a nearby chair, engrossed in a magazine article. He thought she was incredibly beautiful and he considered himself extremely lucky that she’d chosen him. She was also an incredible mother, and he once again wondered if she’d consider having more children with him. Biological or adopted, he didn’t care. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he looked back at the sandcastle he and Noah had built and smiled.

“Livia,” he said, gaining her attention.

“Look, Mom!” Noah added excitedly.

“Wow!” Olivia said, standing and walking over to admire the castle. “It even has a moat.”

“There’s more!”

Olivia studied the castle some more, chuckling when she saw that _Barba_ had been written on one of the walls in pebbles collected from the beach. “It’s perfect.”

“Will you take a picture? I want to show Jesse when we get home.”

“Sure.”

* * *

After Noah was satisfied with the number of pictures Olivia had taken of his sandcastle, he turned to his father.

“Is _Abuelita_ here?” he wondered, repeating his question from the day before.

“As in at the resort?” Rafael asked.

Noah nodded. “ _Abuelita_ said she’d been in the ocean lots of times.”

Understanding, Rafael opened his mouth to ask Olivia for his phone when he saw her holding it out for him. Smiling at her, he took it and quickly dialed his mother’s number for the second time that day. She answered on the second ring.

“Rafi,” she greeted.

“ _Tu nieto_ wants to see you,” he told her.

“Where are you?”

“On the beach at the resort.”

“I’ll be there soon.”

“The beach or the resort?”

“The beach. I’m just about to leave my room.”

“Okay. We’ll see you soon.”

“ _Abuelita_ is meeting us here?” Noah checked once Rafael had hung up and handed his phone back to Olivia.

“Yes. Do you want her to go into the water with you?”

“I want you, Mom, **and** _Abuelita_ to go in the water with me.”

“Sounds good to me,” Olivia told her son with a smile.

* * *

A short while later, after Lucia had joined him, Olivia, and Noah at the beach, and admired the Barba sandcastle, Rafael led them all down to the water. He could feel Noah’s grip on his hand tightening as they got closer. Bending, he turned Noah to look at him.

“Do you want to put your feet in first or put your whole body in the water right away?” he asked.

“Feet first,” Noah decided. “Is that okay?”

“Whatever you want, _mijo_. _Abuelita_ , your mami, and I are all here with you.”

Noah nodded, reaching for Olivia’s hand and looking up at his grandmother for reassurance.

“It feels good, _nieto_ , I promise,” Lucia told him with a smile as Rafael stood.

Noah nodded again, walking with his parents closer to the water. When the water had nearly reached his waist, he looked up at his father.

“What do you need, _mijo_?” Rafael asked.

“Will you take me deeper?” he replied.

Rafael nodded, lifting Noah into his arms as the boy let go of Olivia’s hand. “Ready?”

Noah looked over at his mother. “You’ll come with?”

“Yes,” Olivia responded. “I’ll be right here.”

Still feeling a little nervous, Noah wrapped his arms tightly around Rafael’s neck. After a few minutes, he felt a little bit braver and began to release his hold on his father.

“Can you swim to me, _nieto_?” Lucia asked him.

“Ready, _mijo_?” Rafael checked.

Noah nodded, letting go of Rafael to swim to his grandmother.

“Good job, _mi valiente chico_.”

Noah tilted his head. “What does that mean?”

Lucia smiled at him. “My brave boy,” she said as she caught him in her arms.

“I’m brave?”

“Of course. You were a little scared of going into the ocean, but you did it anyway. I would say that’s brave.”

Noah grinned at her before turning and swimming back to his father.

* * *

Later that afternoon, after spending most of the day on the beach, Olivia, Rafael, and Noah returned to their room. Once they had all showered and changed, they cuddled up on the couch to watch a movie. Noah sat on Rafael’s lap while Olivia curled into his side. Soon, all three Barbas were asleep, tired from the sun and the day’s activities.

* * *

Walking into her favorite restaurant of the resort, a Cuban place named _La Luzi_ , Luna was happy to the two people she wanted to talk to right away. The restaurant manager and the head chef.

“Daniela, Ivan, I’m glad you’re here,” she said as she approached.

“Is everything okay?” Daniela asked as she hugged the younger woman in greeting.

“Yes. I need a favor, though.”

“Anything for you, _chiquita_ ,” Ivan said as he took his turn hugging her.

“ _Mi primo favorito_ is here from New York. He just got married, and I wanted to do something special for him and his wife. They have a little boy who’s four, so they don’t get a lot of alone time. I thought it would be nice for them to have a night out just the two of them. I wanted to see if you could help me arrange something like that.”

“ _Por supuesto_ ,” Ivan replied right away.

“Which cousin is this?” Daniela wondered before realization hit her. “ _¿El abogado_?”

Luna smiled and nodded. “Rafael. His wife’s name is Olivia.”

“When were you thinking?”

“Tomorrow night, around seven o’clock?”

“We’ll give them the private dining room in the back,” Ivan told her.

“ _Muchas gracias_. Oh, and I want this charged to my credit card. I don’t want them paying for it.”

Daniela waved her hand. “ _Disparates_ , _chiquita_. For the newlyweds, it’s on the house.”

“Are you sure?”

“Whatever they want,” Ivan said with a nod of his head. “We’ll make sure it’s a special night.”

* * *

With the first part of her plan taken care of, Luna set off to find her aunt. She and Santino would be more than happy to take Noah, but she wasn’t sure how comfortable the boy would be with them, even if he and Selena had become fast friends. She wanted the night to be perfect, and she knew how much Lucia loved spending time with her grandson. Plus it would ensure that Rafael and Olivia wouldn’t worry about their son so they could enjoy their night out.

“ _Hola, Tía Lucia_ ,” Luna greeted when her aunt opened the door to her room.

“ _Hola, chiquita_ ,” Lucia replied, hugging her niece. “What are you doing here?”

“I need your help.”

“Would you like some coffee? Your mami took pity on me and gave me some _Café Bustelo_.”

Luna smiled and nodded. “Sounds perfect,” she said, following her aunt into the room.

* * *

Once she had poured coffee for herself and Luna, Lucia led her over to the nearby dining table.

“Now, what is it you need my help with?” she asked.

“I arranged for Rafi and Liv to have dinner at _La Luz_ tomorrow night,” Luna began, smiling when Lucia immediately caught on.

Taking out her phone, Lucia sent a text to her son asking if she could have some Noah time tomorrow night. She would pick the boy up in the afternoon and bring him back the next morning. Turning back to her niece, she smiled at her. “Would you like me to take Selena as well, so you and Santino can have a night to yourselves?”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. I’ve missed _mi_ _niñita_. I heard she and _mi nieto_ became fast friends as well.”

Luna eyed her aunt skeptically. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Lucia wanted to spend time with Selena, or give Noah someone his own age to play with while he was here, but she had a feeling that the older woman had a bit of an ulterior motive.

“Are you by any chance using my daughter as a way to convince your son to give you more grandchildren?”

Lucia placed a hand over her heart in a gesture of mock hurt. “ _Chiquita_ , I would _never_.”

Luna laughed. “Oh, yes, you would. But I’m okay with it. Because I’d like to see the same thing happen.”

“Rafi was always so afraid he’d be like his father and he was practically married to his career for so long. Then he met Olivia and suddenly he wasn’t only talking about work. He was talking about this woman who drove him a little crazy. Once I met her and she told me she was just doing her job, I knew she was the one for him.”

“ _Abuelita_ would have loved Olivia, and seeing Rafi so happy. Oh, and having a _bisnieto_ to spoil.”

“She always had faith that he would find someone to help him not be such a workaholic. When Rafi started talking about Olivia, and after she found out that I had met the woman driving him a little crazy, she told me that she’d had one of her _feelings_ about them.”

“Having met them and seen them together, I can understand why.”

“She had one about you and Santino, too.”

“I know. My mami told me. I had just found out that I was pregnant and I was _terrified_ of telling Santino. We’d only been together six months and hadn’t even really talked about having kids.”

Lucia smiled a little sadly. Santino had been absolutely thrilled when he found out Luna was pregnant with Selena and he loved being a father. Rafael’s father had too, at first. Then he’d suffered some setbacks at work and turned to alcohol instead of dealing with his feelings. The alcohol made him short-tempered and mean, eventually leading him to become both verbally and physically abusive toward both her and Rafael.

One day, her parents had seen the bruises on Rafael’s small body and decided something needed to be done. They helped her leave Rafael’s father and she had put everything she had into raising her little boy, hoping it wasn’t too late for him. He’d flourished under the love and support from his grandparents, so she hadn’t moved out of their home until after Rafael had gone off to college.

Seeing the various emotions on her aunt’s face, Luna reached across the table to lay her hand on the older woman’s. “ _Lo siento, Tía Lucia_. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

Lucia shook her head and smiled at the younger woman. “Never, _chiquita_. I’m glad you and Santino decided to have Selena.”

“Me, too.”

“So, do you want me to take _mi niñita_ tomorrow night as well?”

* * *

Having completed the second part of her plan, Luna set off toward her cousin’s room to deliver the invitation that Daniela had made for dinner at _La Luz_ the next night.

“Aren’t you supposed to be doing some kind of final wedding planning instead of bothering me all the time?” Rafael teased when he opened the door to let her in.

Luna laughed. “Be nice or I won’t give you _tu regalo_.”

“You got me a gift?”

“Well, it’s for you and _tu encantadora esposa_. Where is she, anyway?”

“On the phone in our room,” he said, tilting his head toward the room in question. “My mami asked for Noah time, so she and Liv are arranging it.”

“Well, it better be for tomorrow night, because you two have reservations at _La Luz_ for seven o’clock,” Luna replied, handing her cousin the invitation.

“Luna, you didn’t have to do this.”

Luna held up her hand. “Just say thank you.”

Rafael smiled at his cousin and made a mental note to make plans to see her more often. “ _Gracias, prima_ ,” he said.

“Oh, and don’t bother trying to pay. I already told Daniela to refuse to take any money from you.”

Rafael rolled his eyes, but was still smiling. “Liv will love it. Thank you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Miami this chapter. Planning on the wedding and then back to New York next chapter. 
> 
> The dance that Rafael teaches Olivia is based off of this one from the US version of Dancing With the Stars (it's one of my favorites): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjwNm_UtpWw
> 
> Special thanks to everyone who has commented on this and of course thank you to those of you who have left kudos. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! :)

* * *

The next night, as he and Noah walked into his mother’s room, Rafael wasn’t surprised to see she already had some of the boy’s favorite activities ready for him. He spotted two new coloring books, new crayons, and a deck of cards on the table.

“ _Abuelita_ , can we play war?” Noah immediately asked.

Lucia smiled, leaning down to hug her grandson. “Of course, _nieto_. Say goodnight to your dad and then you can go get the cards ready.”

Noah smiled and nodded, turning to reach his arms up to his father. Rafael lifted him and hugged him tightly.

“Be good for your _abuelita_ ,” Rafael instructed him.

“I will,” Noah promised.

Rafael pressed a kiss to his son’s forehead. “ _Te amo, mijo_.”

“ _También te amo_.”

After giving Noah one more hug, Rafael set him on his feet and smiled as he watched the boy run over to the table and immediately start preparing for his card game with Lucia.

“Enjoy your night with Olivia,” Lucia told her son. “You know Noah will be well taken care of.”

Rafael narrowed his eyes at his mother. “I get the feeling you’re planning something.”

Lucia put on her best innocent look. “Really, _mijo_ , how could you think such a thing?”

In response, Rafael raised an eyebrow at her. “Really, _Mami_ , how could I _not_?”

“Just enjoy your night. Give Olivia my love.”

* * *

Walking back into his own room, Rafael frowned a little when he didn’t see his wife.

“Livia?” he called, making his way toward their bedroom.

“I’m ready, I promise,” Olivia replied as she walked out of the adjoining bathroom.

Rafael took a moment to look at her and smiled. She was wearing a dark red knee-length dress and the same low-heeled dress sandals she’d worn the other night.

“ _Te ves hermosa_ ,” he told her as he slid his arms around her waist and leaned down to brush his lips with hers.

“ _Te ves muy guapo_ ,” Olivia replied, reaching out to play with his tie. “We match.”

Rafael chuckled. “Great minds think alike.”

* * *

While Olivia and Rafael were making their way to _La Luz_ , Luna was dropping her daughter off with her aunt.

“Try not to spoil her too much,” Luna joked. “My mom does enough of that.”

Lucia smiled. “I make no guarantees.”

“Do you really think Rafi and Liv will have more kids?”

“Call it a _feeling_ ,” Lucia replied with a shrug. “I’m happy that he finally found someone to share his life with. He can be such a workaholic.”

“From what I remember, he comes by it naturally.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lucia replied with feigned innocence.

Laughing, Luna bent to address her daughter. “Be good for _Tía_ Lucia, _sí_?”

“ _Lo prometo_ ,” Selena replied.

“ _Te amo, mi niña pequeña_.”

“ _Te amo, Mami_.”

After hugging her daughter one more time, Luna stood and hugged her aunt.

“Thank you again,” she said. “Santino and I are going to have a quiet night at home.”

“You two didn’t want to go out?”

Luna shook her head. “No, we just wanted a quiet night to ourselves before we get too busy with all the wedding festivities.”

Lucia nodded in understanding. “Enjoy it.”

“Santino will be by in the morning to pick her up.”

“Give him my love.”

“I will,” Luna promised, giving her aunt one more hug before leaving the room.

Turning to the two children, Lucia smiled when she saw them sharing the crayons as they colored in their respective coloring books. Taking out her phone, she snapped a few pictures, planning in her head how she was going to send them to their respective parents later. She wasn’t the only one who wanted more grandchildren.

* * *

“How in the world did Luna arrange this on such short notice?” Olivia asked as she and Rafael were left alone in the private dining room of _La Luz_.

“It helps to be good friends with the restaurant manager and head chef. Luna worked at this resort for…a few years, I think. At least two for sure,” Rafael answered as he picked up his menu. After a few moments, he regarded his wife curiously. “Are you going to steal my food like you do when we go to Forlini’s?”

Olivia laughed, always thrilled at the way he knew her so well. “I was considering it.”

Rafael smiled at her before he asked his next question. “Can I make a recommendation, then?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I know how much you love _medianoche_ but I think you’d also love _picadillo_. I think even Noah would like it.”

“I don’t know, he’s pretty sold on _arroz con pollo_.”

Rafael laughed. His son had loved the Cuban dish since his first bite of it a few months back. Much like spaghetti, it had become a staple in the Barba household. “Is there something else you wanted to try?”

“The _pernil_ sounded delicious. I heard your mom talking about it with your _Tía_ Maria at brunch yesterday.”

“ _Mami_ makes it every year at Christmastime. I think it could be another Noah-approved food.”

“How about we order the _picadillo_ and the _pernil_ tonight, and then we can buy the ingredients for _medianoche_ tomorrow? We could make our own in our room. Maybe you could even show Noah how to make them.”

Rafael smiled at her suggestion. Reaching across the table for her hand, he laced their fingers together. “Sounds good to me.”

* * *

After dinner, as she and Rafael slowly danced to the soft Cuban music playing in the background, Olivia slid her hand to the back of his neck and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

“Livia, _mi alma_ , what’s wrong?” he asked, recognizing her actions as ones she typically only did when she was feeling emotional or nervous about something.

“I’m sorry, _mi amor_ ,” Olivia began, lifting her head to look into the green eyes she loved so much. “I wasn’t going to bring this up until we got home, but my mind can’t seem to let it go.”

“Bring _what_ up, _mi vida_?”

Olivia took a deep breath and then asked the question she’d been thinking about. “How would you feel about having more kids?”

Rafael cupped her face in his hands before leaning forward to kiss her deeply.

“Rafa?” Olivia asked when they broke apart.

Rafael smiled at her. “I’ve been thinking about how to ask you the same thing,” he confessed.

Olivia rested her forehead against his. She loved that that action was so easy to do since they were close to the same height. “Great minds, right?”

“Exactly.”

After a few moments of silence, Olivia spoke again. “Are you thinking we’d adopt or try for one of our own?”

“Both?”

Olivia laughed happily. “Rafael!”

Rafael grinned at her. “What? I’d love a little girl that looks just like her mother, but if we find a child that we want to adopt, I’d love that just as much.”

“You don’t want a little boy that looks just like you?” Olivia teased.

Rafael laughed, pulling her closer. “How many kids are you thinking of having, _mi amor_?”

Olivia nuzzled close to him as they resumed dancing. “Mm. I don’t know. However many you’re willing to give me? Maybe we could try for one of our own first?”

“I’d like that,” Rafael said before dipping her and making her laugh. “But what if we find a child that we want to adopt in the meantime?”

Olivia leaned in to kiss him again when he brought her back up. “Then we’ll have to find a bigger place.”

“I think that’s probably in order anyway, _mi vida_.”

“So we’ll start looking into everything when we get home.”

“ _Everything_?” Rafael asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Olivia laughed. “I mean, we could _practice_ trying for our own.”

“ _La práctica hace la perfección_.”

* * *

“Rafa, you’re going to make me dizzy!” Olivia said with a laugh as Rafael turned her around the makeshift dance floor that was the living area of their hotel room.

“I would never,” Rafael replied, pulling her close and placing one of her hands on his shoulder as he placed one of his on hers and took her free hand with his. “Just follow my lead.”

Olivia smiled as Rafael moved his hand from her shoulder, down her back and to her hip as he spun them.

“Why didn’t you ever tell me you could dance?” she asked as he dipped her.

Rafael kissed her before answering. “It’s not something a lot of people know about me,” he said as he brought her back up and kept her close.

“I know a lot of things about you that not many people do,” Olivia pointed out.

Rafael nodded at the truth of that statement. “It never came up, I guess,” he finally said.

Olivia smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. “I promise your secret is safe with me, _mi amor_.”

“If getting to dance with you in public means letting a few more people in on my secret, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

“Does that mean you’ll dance with me at Luna’s wedding?”

Rafael lifted her leg to wrap around his waist and then spun them again. “Always, _mi alma_.”

* * *

The next morning, Olivia stirred slightly when she felt Rafael press a gentle kiss to her temple.

“Mm. Sleep, Rafa,” she murmured, keeping her eyes closed as she nuzzled closer to him.

“We have to go get our son, _mi alma_ ,” he reminded her.

“Time is it?”

“Almost nine.”

“You shouldn’t have let me stay up so late.”

Rafael chuckled, pressing another kiss to her temple. “I didn’t hear any complaining from you last night.”

“You distracted me.”

“And you promised Noah that we’d both pick him up.”

Olivia sighed, finally opening her eyes, blinking them a few times to clear her vision.

“Do we have time for a shower?” she asked. She could still feel the hairspray in her hair from the night before.

“We should, but I’ll text Mami and let her know that we might be a few minutes late.”

* * *

When they entered Lucia’s room, both Rafael and Olivia were surprised to find that their son wasn’t the only child the older woman had been looking after.

“Mami, you didn’t tell me Selena would be here,” Rafael said as he bent to kiss her cheek.

“It was very last minute, _mijo_ ,” Lucia claimed as she moved to hug Olivia.

Rafael narrowed his eyes at his mother. “Somehow I doubt that.”

“They’ve been playing very nicely together.”

Watching Noah and Selena, Olivia had to admit the older woman was right. It also made her think back to the conversation she and Rafael had had the night before about having more children. She thought Noah would make an excellent older brother.

“Mom! Dad!” Noah exclaimed, spotting his parents and brining Olivia out of her thoughts.

Rafael and Olivia bent to accept the little boy’s hug, sharing a smile when he threw an arm around each of them.

“Can we go to the pool today?” he asked, already practically vibrating with energy.

“Sure,” Rafael agreed, scooping his son up into his arms as he and Olivia stood.

“I want to go to the pool,” Selena said, having followed Noah into the room. Looking up at Lucia, she put on her best pleading expression. “ _Por favor, Tía Lucia_?”

Hearing Selena’s request, Olivia shared a look with Rafael before turning to her mother-in-law.

“If it’s okay with Luna and Santino, Rafa and I could take her with us,” she offered.

“Yes!” Noah agreed, wanting to spend more time with his newest friend.

“Selena, _niñita_ , you don’t have a swimsuit here,” Lucia reminded the young girl, though she was secretly pleased at her daughter-in-law’s suggestion.

“Papi could bring me one.”

“I’m sure one of the shops would have something, right?” Olivia asked, looking between Lucia and Rafael for confirmation.

“Most likely,” Rafael answered.

Before anyone could say anything else, they heard a knock at the door.

“That’s probably your Papi,” Lucia said to Selena as she moved to answer the door.

Selena’s face fell and Olivia immediately picked her up and hugged her close. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. If that’s your Papi, we can ask him in person if it’s okay for you to spend the day with me and Rafael.”

“I see you’re making lots of new friends this week, _mija_ ,” Santino said with a laugh as he saw his daughter sitting contentedly in Olivia’s arms.

“I want to go to the pool with Liva and Rafi,” Selena told him.

“I thought you wanted to go swimming at _Abuelita’s_?”

“I want to go to the pool instead. Liva said she and Rafi would take me.”

“Are you sure?” Santino asked, looking between Rafael and Olivia.

“We’d love to,” Olivia assured him. “Although she needs a swimsuit.”

Santino held up the small backpack he’d been holding. “Everything she needs is in here.”

“I can go?” Selena asked hopefully.

“ _Sí, mija_ , you can go. But you need to listen to Olivia and Rafael, okay?”

“ _Lo prometo_.”

“Give me a hug, then, and be good for Olivia and Rafael. I’ll pick you up tonight.”

Olivia passed Selena to Santino. “Did you have a certain time in mind?”

“Luna and I should be done with everything we need to do today by around four, if that works for you?”

“Sure,” Rafael agreed. “If something changes, just let us know. We can always meet you somewhere.”

Santino nodded as he hugged his daughter.

“ _Te amo_ ,” he said, pressing a kiss to her head.

“ _Te amo_ ,” Selena repeated, giving him another hug before reaching for Olivia again.

* * *

When they arrived back at their room, Olivia took Selena to her and Rafael’s room to help her change into her swimsuit while Rafael went with Noah to his room to do the same. Once both children were changed, Rafael entertained them while Olivia changed and then she took over while he changed. After gathering their things, they made their way to the pool. Olivia took Selena’s hand while Rafael took Noah’s.

* * *

“Can we go in the pool now?” Noah asked his parents once they had claimed a table near the shallow end of the pool.

“Sunscreen first,” Olivia replied.

“But, Mom, it’s not even that sunny out right now!”

“No sunscreen, no pool.”

Noah frowned, but let his mother apply his sunscreen while Rafael did the same to Selena.

“Pool now?” the little girl wondered.

“ _Un momento, chiquita_ ,” Rafael said with a laugh. “Olivia and I still need to put sunscreen on.”

“Can’t we just go put our feet in?” Noah asked.

“No,” Olivia replied. “You both need to stay close. Waiting a few more minutes won’t hurt you.”

* * *

After Olivia was satisfied with the amount of sunscreen everyone had on, she took one hand of each of the children and led them to the shallow end of the pool.

“I’m still learning how to swim,” Selena said nervously, holding Olivia’s hand tightly as she watched Noah swim around.

“That’s okay,” Olivia assured her. “Your arm floats will help you.”

Selena nodded, but kept a tight grip on Olivia’s hand. After experimentally floating for a short while, Selena was soon swimming and laughing with Noah. When she saw Rafael playfully throw Noah into the pool, she decided she wanted to do it, too. None of them noticed another one of Rafael’s cousins taking pictures nearby.

* * *

Later that day, after spending most of the morning in the pool, Rafael ordered room service while Olivia helped Selena out of her suit and into dry clothes. Noah had insisted her didn’t need help changing clothes, so he’d gone to his room by himself. After lunch, the four of them sat on the couch together, Selena sitting next to Rafael and Noah sitting next to Olivia, to watch a movie. Soon, both kids were fast asleep. Lifting Noah into her arms, Olivia nodded toward the couch.

“Why don’t you get her settled on the couch and I’ll settle Noah in his bed,” she suggested to Rafael. “I think they both wore themselves out this morning.”

Rafael smiled and nodded. Moving carefully, he tucked a pillow under Selena’s head and grabbed a spare blanket from his and Olivia’s room to cover her up with.

“ _Dulces sueños, chiquita_ ,” Rafael whispered before walking to Noah’s room.

* * *

Watching her son sleep, Olivia thought about the day they had all had so far. Having Selena with them had given her a glimpse of what it might be like to have another child, a daughter. She loved Noah and knew she was meant to be his mom, but a part of her longed for a little girl to call her own as well.

“Livia?” Rafael asked softly, startling her out of her thoughts.

Olivia turned and smiled up at her husband. That was another thing she knew was meant to be-her and Rafael. She was also certain that he was meant to be Noah’s father.

“Lost in my thoughts,” she said with a smile and a shrug as Rafael pulled her up and led her into their room before pulling her into his arms.

“I know, _mi vida_ ,” Rafael told her, resting his forehead on hers. “We’ll be home soon and then we can start looking into our options.”

Leaning forward, Olivia kissed him softly. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

As they were about to start another movie with the kids, Olivia and Rafael heard a knock at their door.

“That’s probably your Papi,” Rafael said to Selena as he paused the movie and walked over to answer the door.

Opening the door, he was surprised to see both Luna and Santino there.

“Heard you volunteered to take Selena today and wanted to see it for myself,” Luna told him with a laugh as she hugged him in greeting.

“You don’t trust me?” Rafael asked with mock hurt.

Luna rolled her eyes at him and then walked to the living room to greet Olivia, Noah, and Selena.

“How was she today?” Santino asked as he shut the door behind himself.

“Good,” Rafael answered. “She slept for about an hour this afternoon. I hope that’s okay.”

“She still naps more often than not, so it’s fine. She probably wore herself out this morning.”

Rafael nodded. “Noah slept, too, and he usually doesn’t nap anymore.”

“Mami, Papi, can we finish the movie?” Selena asked as Rafael and Santino entered the living room.

“What are we watching?” Santino wondered.

“ _The Aristocats_.”

Santino glanced at his watch before looking over at his fiancée. “We don’t have to meet your mom for another couple of hours, so we have plenty of time.”

“I haven’t seen this movie since Rafi and I were kids, so that sounds good to me,” Luna agreed, picking up Selena and placing her on her lap as Rafael placed Noah on his.

“I guess the decision has been made for me,” Santino joked as he joined his family on the couch.

“Happens to the best of us,” Rafael assured him, eliciting an eye-roll from Olivia and a giggle from Noah.

* * *

After saying goodbye to Santino, Luna, and Selena, Olivia and Rafael took Noah to look around the shops so he could pick out souvenirs for their friends back home. Noah and Olivia were busy trying to find the right gift for Fin while Rafael looked around at the other options when he heard someone say his name.

“Rafi! Maria didn’t tell me you’d be here!”

Turning, Rafael smiled as he saw his uncle. “ _Tío_ Enrique,” he said as he embraced the older man.

“ _Mis hermanas_ are keeping secrets from me again. Just like when we were kids. When did you get here?”

“A couple of days ago…and you know I wouldn’t dare miss Luna’s wedding. _Ella me mataría_.”

Enrique laughed and nodded at the truth of his nephew’s statement.

“Angela told Claudia that you’re married and have a son, is that true?”

Rafael smiled and nodded his head toward the two people in question, who were still engrossed in their souvenir selection.

“Liv,” he said, gaining his wife’s attention. Seeing him and Enrique, she took Noah’s hand and walked with him over to Rafael.

“ _Ella es muy hermosa_ ,” Enrique observed with a smile. “ _Y tu hijo es muy guapo_.”

“ _Gracias._ _Nosotros apreciamos los cumplidos_ ,” Olivia replied as Rafael slid an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple.

Enrique looked momentarily surprised and then grinned at his nephew.

“Beautiful and smart,” he said with a laugh.

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Enrique, this is my wife, Olivia, and our son, Noah. Liv, Noah, this is my Mami’s younger brother, _mi Tío_ Enrique.”

“More family,” Olivia said with a smile. “It’s nice to put a name with a face finally.”

“I’m learning Spanish, too,” Noah announced proudly, reaching up to grab Rafael’s hand, not wanting to be left out of the conversation.

Enrique bent down to Noah’s level, surprising the little boy, who stepped closer to his father.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, _chico_ ,” Enrique said as he held out his hand. “I just wanted to shake your hand.”

Noah looked up at Rafael, who smiled and nodded.

“You’re _Abuelita_ ’s brother?” he checked.

Enrique nodded. “Yes. I think I even have some pictures of her from when I was about your age.”

Noah was immediately intrigued. He’d never seen pictures of his grandmother as a child. “Really?”

“I’ll have to look to be sure, but I think so.”

“Was she nice to you?”

“When were kids?”

Noah nodded.

“For the most part. We’re siblings, so we fought sometimes, but I never doubted she loved me.”

Noah nodded again, as if mentally filing the information away. At the inquiring looks he was receiving from all three adults, he simply shrugged. “I was just wondering.”

Olivia and Rafael exchanged a look saying they needed to circle back to this topic with their son, but decided to let it go for now. Enrique stood as he watched the exchange. He’d seen his parents share similar looks, as if speaking telepathically. His sister and mother had both been worried that Rafael was too focused on his career, that he’d never find someone to share his life with, but obviously that worry had been unfounded.

“Are you staying here?” Rafael asked, turning his attention back to his uncle.

“No. Marcel and Belinda are here from Tampa. She’s not feeling well, so I said I’d come down here to see if they had any ginger ale or crackers,” Enrique explained.

“I don’t know about crackers, but I saw some ginger ale in the cooler,” Olivia supplied with a smile.

“Thank you,” Enrique replied. “I’ll leave you three to your shopping. Rafi, it’s good to see you. Olivia, Noah, it was nice to meet you. _Bienvenido a mi familia_.”

* * *

After choosing gifts for their friends, the three Barbas returned to their hotel room and decided to order room service for dinner. While they waited, Olivia and Rafael sat Noah down on the couch to ask him about his behavior in the gift shop.

“Did I do something wrong?” Noah asked after his parents had explained why they wanted to talk to him.

“No, sweet boy,” Olivia assured him. “Your dad and I just noticed that you seemed a bit more curious than you have in the past about siblings.”

“Siblings?”

“Brothers and sisters,” Rafael clarified.

Noah nodded and then shrugged. “Sometimes I think about what it would be like to have a brother or a sister,” he said with a sigh.

“Is that something you’d like?” Rafael asked, seeing his wife’s shocked expression at their son’s confession.

“I don’t know. I think so. I had fun with Selena, but she’s not my sister. I don’t know what she is, exactly.”

Rafael chuckled. “She’s your second cousin.”

“Second cousin? What’s that?”

“Another kind of cousin.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“How would you feel about having a sibling?” Olivia asked him.

Noah shrugged. “I don’t know. You and Dad would still love me the same, right?”

“Of course.”

“You would have to share our attention, but that doesn’t mean we’d love you any less,” Rafael added.

Noah nodded, seeming to file this information away along with the information he’d gotten from Enrique earlier.

“Can we play a game now?” he asked a few moments later.

Rafael and Olivia shared a smile at Noah’s sudden change of subject, but they both nodded at him.

“What did you have in mind?” Olivia asked.

“ _Abuelita_ taught me how to play crazy eights. Can we play that?”

“Sure. You and Dad get it set up and I’ll be right there, I’m just going to put our gifts in my suitcase so they don’t get lost.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small disclaimer: I'm the youngest in my family and have no kids of my own, so I have no idea how the whole explaining to kids about (potentially) having siblings usually goes. Hopefully I didn't mess it up :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last part of the Miami trip this chapter. I wanted to get them back to New York, so I didn't go into much detail. Links for Olivia's dress inspiration and the outfit I based Rafael and Noah's suits off of will be at the bottom. The colors of each in the picture aren't exactly how I pictured them, but I couldn't find exact matches so just assume they all match :)
> 
> A bit of the squad and some Rollisi in this chapter, too.

The morning of Luna’s wedding, Olivia woke to Rafael pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Time to wake up, _mi vida_ ,” he said softly. “I already made breakfast and fed the kid. He’s being placated with cartoons right now.”

Olivia chuckled as turned her head to kiss her husband. “Time is it?” she asked.

“Almost nine. The wedding starts at two. I will take care of getting Noah ready, but I thought we could have a little family time this morning before that.”

Olivia smiled. “Sounds perfect. What’s for breakfast?”

“Omelettes and toast.”

“No _pastelitos_?”

Rafael laughed as he pulled Olivia out of the bed and into his arms. “I may have promised them for breakfast on Monday morning.”

Olivia kissed him again. “As much as I’ve enjoyed this trip, I’m ready to go home.”

“Me, too,” Rafael agreed. “Maybe we could come back again soon, though?”

Olivia played with the hair at the nape of Rafael’s neck. “You’ve missed your big, loud, obnoxious, loving family, haven’t you?”

Rafael smiled at her, loving the way she knew him so well. “I have, actually. I haven’t been to a family get together like this in…a long time…but now, with you and Noah and our future children, I’d like them to grow up with as much family as they can.”

“I like your family, Rafa. We’ll look at some more dates when we get back. Maybe next time they’ll be four of us instead of three.”

“I like that idea.”

“Me, too.”

* * *

“Good morning, sweet boy,” Olivia cooed as she took a seat next to Noah on the couch. “What are we watching?”

Noah snuggled into her side. “ _Paw Patrol_. Dad said it was okay.”

“It is. He should be in here soon so we can have a bit of family time before we have to start getting ready for the wedding.”

Noah nodded. “I like family time.”

“We do, too,” Rafael said as he joined them, pulling Noah onto his lap and wrapping his arm around Olivia.

Noah leaned back against his father’s chest and smiled as each of his parents put an arm around him.

* * *

After checking her hair one last time, Olivia stepped into the bedroom to look over her outfit in the full-length mirror. Rafael had only told her what color shirts he and Noah would be wearing because she insisted that she wanted her outfit to go with theirs.

The high halter-necked dress was a darker shade of blue and fell to just below her knees in the back and the ruffles in the front created a natural slit along her left leg. She paired the dress with a pair of black low-heeled t-strap sandals and a small black purse, and had styled her hair in soft waves. Smiling to herself, she walked out to the living room to see what her boys were wearing.

* * *

While Olivia was finished getting herself dressed, Rafael was in Noah’s bedroom helping him put on his suit. The boy currently had his black dress pant on and the blue dress shirt he also wore was tucked into them while Rafael helped him with the suspenders. After clipping them into place, he reached for the vest and helped Noah button it before instructing the boy to take a seat on his bed.

“This suit doesn’t feel as uncomfortable as my last one,” Noah remarked as Rafael tied his dress shoes and helped him to stand again.

Rafael chuckled as he helped Noah into the suit jacket. “That’s because this one is tailored to fit you and the other one wasn’t.”

“Tailored?”

“You remember how Oliver took all those measurements?” Rafael asked. At Noah’s nod, he continued. “Those measurements were used to make your suit, so it would fit properly.”

“Oh. Okay,” Noah agreed happily. “Mom will like that we match?”

“I think so,” Rafael answered, holding out his hand. “Should we go find out?”

* * *

Walking into the living room, Rafael’s breath caught when he saw Olivia. He always thought she looked beautiful, but the dress fit her perfectly and he thought she looked absolutely gorgeous.

“Oh, this is too cute,” she said with a smile when she saw them. Reaching into her purse, she took out her phone and snapped a few pictures. “I love the matching suits.”

Noah grinned at her and she could see that Rafael had tried to tame their son’s curls with some hair gel. “You look pretty, Mom,” he told her.

“Thank you, sweet boy.”

“ _Bonita es un eufemismo. Más como absolutamente hermosa_ ,” Rafael said as he took Olivia’s hand and twirled her around.

“You’re biased,” Olivia said with a light blush.

“Just stating the facts,” Rafael countered, making both Olivia and Noah giggle.

* * *

Back at the precinct, Amanda sighed as she filled out some paperwork. She’d been working longer hours to help Fin out while Olivia was on vacation. The woman deserved it, but she was slightly jealous. Miami sounded amazing. From the pictures the older woman had been sending, it looked as amazing as it sounded. Maybe she could convince Sonny to take her and Jesse there someday. Hearing her phone indicate she had a new message, she quickly picked it up and her face split into a grin when she saw the picture.

“What’s that smile for?” Sonny asked from his desk.

Amanda called him and Fin over and then showed them the pictures. The first was of Olivia herself, the second was of Rafael and Noah together, and the third was of the three of them.

“Matching suits?” Fin asked, clearly not a fan of the idea.

“I think it’s adorable,” Amanda told him.

“Don’t let Barba hear you call him that,” Sonny joked.

“I know better than that. But if we ever have a kid and it’s a boy, you’d better be prepared to do something like this.”

Sonny did his best to hide his surprise at Amanda’s comment. It wasn’t that he didn’t see them together in the future; he just didn’t think she was as serious about them as he was. In fact, he didn’t even really know what _they_ were. They’d disclosed, they were sleeping together, and spent most nights together at her place, since that was easier with Jesse, but he wasn’t sure if he should call her the woman he was seeing or his girlfriend or _what_ she wanted them to be.

When she realized what she’d said, Amanda silently cursed herself. She’d come to the realization the other night that she wanted to be with Sonny for the rest of her life, but she had absolutely no idea how to tell him that. They hadn’t ever really defined what they were aside from committing to be exclusive, which had resulted in disclosing. Making a mental note to discuss it with him later, she changed the subject.

“I’m going to grab something to eat. My eyes hurt from staring at this computer screen,” she said as she stood. “Can I grab either of you something?”

* * *

Watching her son and daughter-in-law swaying together on the dance floor, Lucia didn’t see her siblings take a seat on either side of her.

“It’s been nice to see Rafi again,” Maria commented.

“If I had known he was going to be here, I would have stopped by sooner,” Enrique added.

“I told Maria he was coming, and bringing his family,” Lucia replied.

“So, how did he meet her?”

Lucia smiled. “She’s a police lieutenant. The commanding officer for the unit he’s an assistant district attorney for. Shortly after their first case together, he told me and Mami that she drove him a little crazy. Mami said she knew then that the woman would be perfect for Rafi. She was right.”

“You don’t go from co-workers to spouses in just a few months. Not with a connection like they have,” Maria opined.

“They became friends. Then best friends. He was convinced that’s all she saw him as.”

“What changed?”

“I don’t know the entire story in detail, but two of their friends signed them up for some kind of best friend trivia at this place they often go to after work. They won, of course, and then Olivia said she wanted some time alone with Rafi and I guess the rest is history. She and the little boy moved in with him that same weekend. When he brought them to brunch, I gave him Mami’s ring. Then before I know it, he’s telling me he proposed and then he calls me and asks me to come down to the courthouse because there’s a judge waiting to marry them.”

“So the little boy isn’t his?”

“He’s Rafi’s,” Lucia insisted. “Olivia adopted him a couple of years ago, and then Rafi adopted him the same day he and Olivia got married.”

“Mami would have loved her,” Enrique said, putting an arm around her to hug her.

“And that little boy,” Maria added as he mimicked her brother’s actions.

“I like to think she’s smiling down at them from Heaven,” Lucia told them.

The three siblings sat together a while longer, chatting amongst themselves as they watched the younger members of their family on the dance floor.

* * *

After a couple of dances alone with Olivia, Rafael felt a tug on his pant leg. Looking down, he saw Noah standing next to them. “I want to dance, too,” he said.

Scooping him up into his arms, Rafael held him close as he and Olivia swayed with him to the slow song currently being played. When the next song began its more upbeat tempo, Noah wiggled to get down so he could go dance with the other little kids. Setting him down, Rafael pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Be good, _mijo_ ,” he instructed.

“I will,” Noah promised, hugging him and then Olivia before running off to join the small group at the other side of the dance floor.

Straightening, Rafael held his hand out to Olivia. “Dance with me some more?”

“Always,” Olivia replied with a smile, placing her hand in his. “But you might have to help me.”

“Whatever you need, _mi vida_.”

* * *

After bidding goodbye to Luna, Santino, and the rest of his extended family, Rafael scooped a sleepy Noah up into his arms, settling him on his hip as he slid his free arm around Olivia’s waist.

“Tonight was fun,” Olivia remarked as she walked with Rafael and Noah back to their room. She wore Rafael’s jacket and had her shoes along with Noah’s jacket in one arm while the other was wrapped around Rafael’s waist.

“I think _nuestro hombrecito_ is going to sleep very well,” Rafael replied, indicating the now sleeping boy he held.

“You think he’ll let us sleep in?”

Rafael chuckled. “Maybe. But probably not by much. We have brunch at _Tía_ Maria’s at ten and then we have to get to the airport to catch out flight home.”

“Home sounds really good right now.”

“It does. Although maybe on your next weekend off, we can take Noah to a more local beach.”

“Next time we’re here, we’ll have to make it a point to get to the zoo, though. He was kind of upset that we’d missed it this time. But I reminded him that he chose to go to the pool with Luna instead.”

“Don’t forget, we have a reception of our own to plan, too. I want to dance with you some more.”

Olivia smiled and leaned into his side. “Me, too.”

* * *

When they arrived home the next day, all three Barbas dropped their bags by the door and retreated to their rooms to enjoy the comfort of their own beds. A few minutes after getting comfortable in their bed, Olivia and Rafael heard their door open. Looking over, Rafael saw their son standing at the end of the bed clutching Eddie.

“What’s wrong, _mijo_?” he asked.

“Can we have family nap time?”

Rafael shared a look with his wife before turning back to their son. “Of course. But if Eddie starts snoring in my ear again, he’s losing bed privileges.”

Noah laughed as he climbed up into his parents’ large bed, coming to rest on Rafael’s left side. Resting his head on his father’s shoulder, he curled into his side and was soon fast asleep. Rafael tightened his arms around his wife and son before closing his eyes and promptly falling asleep himself.

* * *

“Where’s Jesse?” Sonny asked as he entered Amanda’s apartment and noticed it was unusually quiet.

“Lucy took her to see a movie,” Amanda replied, shutting the door behind him. “Since Liv is still out of town, and she finished with her other family a couple of days ago, she had some extra time. Jess knows her and was excited to go. I, uh, didn’t want her interrupting our…talk.”

Sonny nodded, following her over to the couch, where they sat facing each other.

“Manda…” Sonny began, reaching to take her hands in his. “What you said the other day when Lu sent those pictures…”

“I’m sorry,” Amanda apologized, looking down at their hands and not seeing Sonny shake his head. “I know I haven’t been very clear about what I want. It’s just…”

Sonny squeezed her hands. “Hey, you know you can tell me anything.”

Amanda sighed and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I’m not good at relationships, and I’m so scared I’m going to mess this up. You’re so patient and kind, and I know I give you a hard time about it, but I like that you’re not afraid to be a little silly or dramatic just to make me laugh. You’ve always been so good with Jess and we would both be heartbroken if I messed this up and you walked away.”

“Do you really see us having kids together?”

“Yeah. I mean, I know we haven’t been…together…long, but I love you, Sonny Carisi, and I can’t picture my life without you.”

Sonny leaned forward and brushed his lips with hers. “I love you, too, Amanda Rollins, and I can’t picture my life without you, either. You _and_ Jesse.”

Amanda kissed him again, surprised when he suddenly pulled away.

“I need to know what we are, Manda. I realize that we’ve already disclosed and all, but…”

“I guess boyfriend?” Amanda said. “That sounds juvenile, but that’s the best title I can come up with that people will understand. You’re still my best friend, but now we’re _more_.”

“I’m good with boyfriend,” Sonny told her with a smile, leaning forward to kiss her again.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, as she and Rafael were helping Lucia with a picnic she was organizing with her church for a local orphanage, Olivia felt a small body collide with her legs. Looking down, she saw a little girl with light brown hair and brown eyes looking up at her. Scooping the girl up into her arms, she ran her hand over the girl’s hair, moving some stray pieces out of her face. She was about to ask the little girl her name when she saw the priest, Father Santiago quickly making his way over.

“Miranda, sweetheart, you know you’re not supposed to just run off,” he said as he approached.

“Sorry,” she said, but made no move to leave Olivia’s arms.

“Is she…?” Olivia began, not exactly sure how to ask her question.

Something about this little girl was drawing her in more and more by the minute, the same way Noah had two years ago.

“She was brought to the church two years ago. Her father was killed in a car accident in Spain before she was born. His parents passed away when he was young and he had no other living relatives. Her mother came here when she was six months pregnant, lured by a false advertisement for work.

When Marina was just a few months old, her mother brought her here with a note that said she was dying and could no longer take care of her daughter. We searched for relatives, but the only ones we were able to find were distant cousins who sadly didn’t want her.”

Olivia’s heart broke for the little girl. “Would it be okay if I took her to meet Rafael and Noah?”

Father Santiago smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

* * *

Shifting Miranda to her hip, Olivia smiled when she saw Rafael approaching. Noah wasn’t with him, but Rafael didn’t appear distressed so she guessed their son was with Lucia. Since he was out of school for the summer, Noah didn’t always see his grandmother as much as he had become accustomed to, so he’d been excited to see her today.

“Hi,” Rafael said as he slid an arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to her temple in greeting.

“Hi,” Olivia replied with a smile, leaning into his side.

“Who’s your friend?”

“Miranda,” the little girl said proudly, eliciting a chuckle from Rafael.

“Miranda, this is my husband, Rafael,” Olivia said to her. “Can you say hello?”

Miranda was silent as she studied Rafael. “Hi,” she said softly and then reached her arms out for him.

Olivia smiled as Rafael took the little girl from her. “I think she likes you.”

“Where did you find her?” Rafael asked, already feeling himself growing attached to the little girl in his arms.

“She found me. I was helping setting up some tables and she ran into my legs. She ran away from Father Santiago. He told me her story and said it was okay if I took her to meet you and Noah.”

“Livy pretty,” Miranda said, laying her head on Rafael’s shoulder and smiling at Olivia.

Rafael chuckled, hugging the girl tightly. “She is,” he agreed.

“Rafi comfy.”

Olivia smile as she studied the little girl. She did seem to be a little sleepy. When she reached for her again, she didn’t hesitate to cuddle her close.

* * *

Spotting his parents, Noah looked up at his grandmother, who was talking with Father Santiago.

“ _Abuelita_ , I see my mom and dad,” he said.

“Go ahead, _nieto_ ,” she told him. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Noah nodded, taking off towards his parents. “Mom! Dad!”

* * *

Turning at the sound of his son’s voice, Rafael caught him and lifted him up into his arms.

“Did you have fun with _Abuelita_?” he asked, pushing some stray curls from the boy’s forehead.

“Yes. But one of her friends pinched my cheek and I didn’t like that.”

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to his son’s forehead. “That would probably be Valeria. She used to do the same thing to me when I was younger.”

“Who are you?” Miranda asked, interrupting their conversation.

“I’m Noah. Who are you?”

“Miranda.”

Noah laid his head on Rafael’s shoulder as he studied the little girl who had her own head on his mother’s shoulder. “Hi,” he said a few moments later.

“Hi,” Miranda replied. “Noah play?”

“Play what?”

Miranda looked confused by that question, causing Noah to raise his head and look up at Rafael for help. Looking around, he smiled when he spotted a rubber ball that some of the other children had been playing with earlier. Signaling for Olivia to follow him, he walked over and set Noah down beside it. Catching on, Noah turned to Miranda again.

“Play ball?” he asked simply.

“Yes!” Miranda replied enthusiastically, causing both adults to laugh.

“I’ll go find us a blanket,” Rafael said to his wife, who was now watching the children with a smile on her face.

“Could you grab some water, too?” Olivia asked.

“Sure.”

* * *

Watching her son and his family with Miranda, Lucia suspected the little girl had found her new parents.

“They look like they belong together,” Father Santiago commented as he joined her.

“They do,” Lucia agreed.

“It’s good to see Rafael so happy.”

Lucia nodded. “I just wish his grandmother was here to see him like this.”

“I’m sure she and your father are watching over all of you.”

“At least I know she’s with Papi now.”

“They were both very proud of Rafael. I could hear the pride in her voice when she told me that he had gotten the full scholarship to Harvard and then again when he got the job at the District Attorney’s office. I know she’d be proud of the man he’s become, of the _father_ he’s become.”

“He’s more like his _abuelito_ than his own father.”

“He’s a good man. A lot of that has to do with you, too, Lucia. Now, go join your family. I’m going to go find Farrah. I don’t think your son and his wife are going to want to leave without Miranda.”

* * *

“Who do we have here?” Lucia asked as she joined Rafael and Olivia on a nearby blanket.

“Her name is Miranda,” Olivia answered. “She just ran up to me earlier.”

“She and Noah seem to be getting along well.”

The adults looked over to where Noah was teaching Miranda how to toss the ball high in the air.

“You’d never know they both had rather tragic lives their first two years,” Rafael commented.

After sharing a look with her husband, Olivia turned to her mother-in-law. “We were hoping you would know who we need to talk to about bringing her home with us.”

Lucia smiled. “Her name is Farrah. She’s the director of the orphanage where Miranda has been staying. Father Santiago went to find her just a little bit ago, said he had a feeling you two wouldn’t want to leave without that little girl.”

* * *

“Father Santiago!” Farrah said, rushing up to the older man, sounding a bit distressed when she noticed Miranda wasn’t with him.

“Miranda is fine,” he told her calmly. “In fact, I think she may have found herself a family.”

Farrah didn’t bother to hide her surprise. The little girl was always so shy and often took a while to warm up to people. Her reluctance to immediately trust people is what had caused her to remain in the orphanage so long. “Who?”

“She ran right up to Lucia’s daughter-in-law. She was playing with Olivia and Rafael’s son, Noah, when I left,” Father Santiago replied, motioning for her to follow him.

“Miranda doesn’t just run up to people,” Farrah said as she walked with the priest.

“I saw it myself. She ran right up to Olivia.”

Farrah opened her mouth to respond, but found she was speechless when she saw the little girl with Rafael and his family. Raising her hand to her heart, she felt happy tears prick her eyes. Miranda was such a sweet child and it had always broken her heart each time she was looked over for someone else. Taking out her phone, she called her assistant, who had stayed back at the orphanage to be available in case anyone needed anything. She instructed the girl to pack a bag for Miranda and bring by the temporary guardianship papers for her. If Rafael and Olivia wanted to take Miranda home with them, she was going to make sure everything was in place to make that happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Olivia's dress:  
> https://www.macys.com/shop/product/xscape-high-neck-crepe-ruffle-dress?ID=9398198
> 
> Rafael's and Noah's suits: https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2020220/rs_1024x759-200320123209-1024-law-and-order-rafael.jpg?fit=around|552:auto&output-quality=90&crop=552:auto;center,top 
> 
> Also, I don't know the details about how adoptions really work, but for the sake of this story, they're going to work as described.
> 
> Translations:  
> Mi vida-my life  
> Bonita es un eufemismo. Más como absolutamente hermosa-Pretty is an understatement. More like beautiful.  
> Mijo- term of endearment meaning 'my son'/'son'  
> Nuestro hombrecito-our little man  
> Abuelita-grandma  
> Nieto-grandson  
> Abuelito-grandpa
> 
> Pastelitos-a Cuban pastry with sweet fillings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_pastry)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More mirbarsonoah this chapter, along with a couple of other important people :) I have no kids of my own and all my niece/nephews are between 5 and 20 years old so it's been a while since I've been around younger kids, so my apologies if I get Miranda's speech capabilities incorrect. 
> 
> More of the squad next chapter. Maybe some more betting too ;)
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

When she saw Farrah approaching, Miranda immediately became distressed. Seeing her distress, Noah tried to steer her towards his parents.

“NO!” she yelled. “No go with Farrah!”

Hearing the girl’s distress, all four adults looked over at the spot where she had been happily playing with Noah just a few seconds before. After sharing a look with Olivia, Rafael stood and walked over to them.

“Does Miranda have to go back now?” Noah asked sadly.

“Mami and I were actually thinking of taking her home with us,” Rafael answered as he knelt in front of them. “Would that be okay with you?”

“Yes,” Noah replied. He really liked the idea of getting to pick his new sibling.

“Stay with you and Livy and Noah?” Miranda wondered.

“Would _you_ like that?” Rafael asked.

Miranda’s eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”

Turning back to his son, Rafael placed a hand on his shoulder. “Can you keep an eye on Miranda for a little while, _mijo_? Maybe you could introduce her to _Abuelita_?”

“ _Abuelita_?” Miranda repeated.

Noah turned to his father. “Do you think _Abuelita_ would play with us?”

“I’m sure she would. Would you like me to send her over?”

Noah nodded. “ _Sí, por favor_.”

Rafael grinned at him, pressing a kiss to his forehead before he stood. “ _Te amo, mijo_ ,” he said before walking back over to the rest of the adults.

* * *

“These papers will allow you to act as temporary guardians for Miranda for the weekend. We can extend this period if that’s what you decide you want to do. Or you can return her to the orphanage tomorrow afternoon. My assistant is waiting with a car seat and a bag for Miranda.”

“Where do we sign?” Olivia asked, eliciting a chuckle from Rafael and a smile from Farrah.

Farrah turned to the second page, handing a pen and the clipboard holding the papers to Olivia. “Right here.”

Olivia signed the papers quickly and then handed the pen over to Rafael for him to do the same.

“Here is my card,” Farrah continued, handing it to Olivia. “Please feel free to call with any questions.”

“Thank you,” Olivia said before turning to her husband. “I’ll go meet Farrah’s assistant at the car if you can gather the kids.”

“Okay, we’ll see you there,” Rafael agreed.

* * *

Walking up to the spot where his son and the little girl he hoped to make his daughter were playing with his mother, Rafael smiled at the picture they made.

“Ready to go, _niños_?” he asked.

“Miranda is coming with us, right?” Noah checked, having heard his father use the plural of the word _niño_.

“Yes. For a sleepover tonight…and then longer if we all decide that’s what we want.”

“Rafi have to go?” Miranda asked sadly, not having heard the conversation, only seen Noah set the ball down and walk over to Rafael.

Noah reached up to take Rafael’s hand and then nodded his head towards Miranda when Rafael looked down at him. Catching onto his son’s idea, Rafael smiled and held his free hand out to the little girl.

“Not without you, _niñita_ ,” he replied.

Miranda’s face split into a grin as she ran over and took Rafael’s hand. Looking over at his mother, Rafael sent her a look that said _don’t start_ , but he could already see the happy tears in her eyes as she held her hands over her heart.

“What are we going to do tonight?” Noah asked as he, Rafael, and Miranda began to walk.

“I was thinking we could make _arroz con pollo_ and then have a movie night at home,” Rafael answered.

“Love _arroz con pollo_ ,” Miranda added.

“I guess that’s decided, then.”

“No, we still have to ask Mom,” Noah insisted.

“Do you really think she’ll say no?”

Noah laughed and shook his head. “She likes those weird sandwiches better, though.”

Rafael chuckled. “You mean _medianoche_?”

“Yeah. That.”

“Even so, you know she likes _arroz con pollo_.”

“We should still ask her.”

* * *

When they arrived home, Olivia went to put Miranda’s things in the spare bedroom while Rafael settled the kids in the living room so he could start cooking. They had decided on _arroz con pollo_ for dinner, and as it was a special night, ice cream for dessert.

“Here, you can play with this,” Noah said to Miranda, handing her a box with various shapes cut out on the sides.

Recognizing the toy as one she’d played with before, Miranda smiled and opened it to dump out the shapes. “Noah help?”

“Okay.”

* * *

As she was unpacking Miranda’s bag, Olivia began to feel a little lightheaded. Pressing a hand to her head, she took a seat on the bed and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. This had been happening more frequently over the last few weeks, but she didn’t want to worry Rafael. She was still catching up on work from when they had been in Miami, so she assumed it was just stress.

When she felt better, she finished unpacking the bag and frowned when she realized the little girl didn’t have a stuffed animal. A phone call to Farrah told her that the little girl often slept with a teddy bear, but it technically belonged to the orphanage so they hadn’t packed it.

An idea forming in her head, Olivia walked back out to the kitchen.

* * *

“Do you think your mom would like to join us for dinner?” Olivia asked as she joined Rafael in the kitchen.

“I’m sure she’d love it. I saw her walk over to rejoin her friends when we were leaving, so I doubt she’s gone home yet. I’ll call her.”

“Could she pick up a stuffed animal, maybe a bear, for Miranda? Farrah said she sometimes sleeps with one at the orphanage but it’s not technically hers so it wasn’t packed…and I was thinking her first night in an unfamiliar place…”

Rafael leaned over and kissed her softly. “I’m sure she’d be more than happy to, _mi alma_.”

* * *

True to Rafael’s word, Lucia was more than happy to stop and pick up a stuffed bear for Miranda. When she arrived at the apartment and Rafael noticed she had clearly bought more than just a stuffed animal, he raised his eyebrow at her.

“¿ _De verdad_ , Mami, _regalos_?”

Lucia smiled at him and raised her hand to pat his cheek. “ _Si, mijo, regalos. Solo déjame estropearlos, ¿de acuerdo?_ ”

Rafael rolled his eyes, but was smiling. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to his mother’s cheek. “ _Gracias_ ,” he said as he took the bags from her and led her into the living room.

* * *

After dinner, Rafael was putting the dishes in the dishwasher when he noticed an unfamiliar container.

“Mami, what’s this?” he asked.

“Valeria sent it with me. She made _buñuelos_ for the picnic and had some extras.”

“¡ _Buñuelos_!” Miranda said excitedly, recognizing the word and knowing what it meant.

“What are _buñuelos_?” Noah asked.

“They’re a kind of sweet-tasting pastry,” Lucia explained. “Valeria has been making them for years.”

Noah looked skeptical, causing his father to laugh.

“That was the same look you had on your face before you tried _pastelitos_ ,” Rafael reminded him. “Now you love them.”

Noah shrugged. “I guess I could try one.”

“If you don’t like it, that’s okay,” Olivia assured him. “We’re just proud of you for trying it.”

“Do I still get my present if I don’t like it?”

“What present?”

“I heard Dad asking _Abuelita_ about _regalos_. I know that means presents.”

Olivia raised her eyebrow at the mother and son in the kitchen.

“I guess he’s picking up more than we thought?” Rafael asked.

“Mm.”

* * *

Watching Noah carefully, Olivia tried to assess his reaction to the new food. Rafael had had them before, and as expected with anything sweet, loved them almost as much as his mother’s _pastelitos_. Miranda dug into hers excitedly, apparently familiar with the treat.

“What do you think, _mijo_?” Rafael asked.

“It’s good. But _pastelitos_ are better,” Noah decided, eliciting laughter from the adults.

“I could bring some by in the morning after mass,” Lucia offered.

“We could have brunch here instead of going out somewhere,” Olivia suggested, turning to Rafael for his opinion.

“As if I would ever turn down _pastelitos_ ,” Rafael replied.

Olivia rolled her eyes in amusement and smiled at her husband. “No, never.”

* * *

Once the kids were cleaned up after dessert, everyone gathered in the living room so Lucia could give them their presents.

“Teddy!” Miranda exclaimed as she pulled the small stuffed bear out of the bag. Looking between Rafael and Olivia, she asked “Only mine?”

“ _Sí, niñita_ , only yours,” Rafael replied, smiling when Miranda hugged it close.

“Go ahead, sweet boy, open yours,” Olivia encouraged.

“Lincoln Logs!” Noah exclaimed.

“You seemed to have so much fun playing with the set at my house that I thought I would get you your own for home,” Lucia told him as she accepted his hug. “I would have gotten you a stuffed animal, too, but I hear there’s no replacing Eddie.”

Noah smiled as he shook his head. “I like my present.”

* * *

Settling on the couch, Noah climbed into his father’s lap and laid his head against his chest.

“You okay, _mijo_?” Rafael asked, hugging the boy close.

“Why did you give me Eddie?”

“Well, I was looking for something to get you to celebrate you coming to live with Mom permanently and I saw him sitting on the shelf. He looked soft and I thought a stuffed animal would be more unique than a bear, and I just had a feeling he was meant to be yours. So I got him for you.”

Noah played with Eddie’s ears as he asked his next question. “Did you have a feeling about me?”

“What do you mean?”

“How did you know you wanted to be my dad?”

Rafael pressed a kiss to Noah’s head. “Your mom has been my best friend for years and I knew how much she loved you. She let me spend time with you, too, and I got to know you. Soon, you weren’t just my best friend’s son, you were _Noah_ and I loved you. I didn’t think I wanted to be a dad until I met you. My dad wasn’t a very good one, so I didn’t think it was something I’d ever do.”

“You’re the best.”

“I try. You know your mom and I love you very much, right? And just because we’re thinking about adding Miranda to our family doesn’t mean we love you any less?”

Noah nodded. “She seems lonely.”

“Miranda?”

Noah nodded again. “But she seems happier here with us.”

“She does,” Rafael agreed.

“I think that means she should stay.”

“We’ll have to talk to your mom about that, but I’m glad you two get along so well.”

“As long as she doesn’t try to take Eddie.”

Rafael chuckled and pressed another kiss to his son’s head. “I think _she_ should be worried about _Eddie_. You know how much he likes ice cream and he can get a little wild.”

Noah laughed. “We’ll have to talk to Eddie…and warn Miranda.”

* * *

As she was bathing Miranda, Olivia frowned when she noticed some scrapes on the little girl’s legs.

“I fell,” Miranda explained.

“How did you fall?”

“Sliding too fast.”

Olivia nodded. Noah had done the same thing multiple times over the years. “Do you like to slide?”

“Yes!”

“Maybe we can go to a park tomorrow. Noah likes to slide, too.”

“Noah like swings, too?”

Olivia smiled. The swings were her son’s favorite. “He does. You like Noah, huh?”

Miranda nodded, then quickly changed the subject. “Can Lovey watch movie, too?” she asked, referring to the teddy bear that Lucia had gifted her with earlier.

Olivia’s smile grew at the sudden change of subject. Noah often still jumped from subject to subject without warning, though he’d gotten better about it as he’d gotten older.

“Of course. Now, be a good girl and close your eyes so I can rinse your hair.”

* * *

“Movie time!” Miranda exclaimed, running into the living room with Lovey held tight under her arm. When she spotted the stuffed elephant Noah was holding, she tilted her head. “Who’s that?”

“This is Eddie,” Noah told her. “My dad gave him to me.”

Miranda reached out and gave Eddie a pat on the head. “Good Eddie,” she said.

“He’s being good now, but he likes to steal ice cream,” Noah replied, making Miranda giggle.

“Noah funny.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to Noah’s head before turning to the little girl that had now climbed up onto the couch and sat by his side.

“Where’s Livy?” he asked.

“Just finished cleaning up the bathroom,” Olivia answered, lifting Miranda onto her lap to take the spot she’d been occupying on the couch.

“Ready?” Noah asked Miranda, who grinned and nodded.

“What movie did you choose, sweet boy?”

“ _Lilo and Stitch_.”

* * *

As the closing credits of the movie appeared on the screen, Rafael looked down to see that Olivia and both kids were asleep. While their new couch was extremely comfortable, he knew they’d all get a better night’s sleep in actual beds.

“Livia, _mi vida_ , wake up,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Olivia blinked her eyes open, bringing her husband’s face into focus.

“Sorry, Rafa,” she apologized with a small smile.

“It’s okay. We should get the kids to bed, though.”

Olivia nodded, carefully cradling Miranda in her arms so she could stand while Rafael did the same to Noah.

* * *

As they walked into the orphanage the following afternoon, Miranda clung tightly to Olivia.

“No! No go back! Stay with Livy and Rafi and Noah!” she cried.

“Shh, sweet girl, it’s okay,” Olivia said, rubbing a hand up and down the little girl’s back in an attempt to soothe her. “We just came to get some more of your things so you can stay with us longer. Then we’re going to go shopping for some more things for you.”

Miranda still looked a little dubious, but she laid her head down on Olivia’s shoulder and watched Rafael talking to Farrah.

A few minutes later, suddenly feeling a little sick to her stomach, Olivia set Miranda down and turned to her son. “Sweet boy, can you help your dad keep an eye on Miranda? I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Noah agreed, taking Miranda’s hand and holding it tight in his own.

* * *

“Livia? You okay?” Rafael asked when she joined him, Noah, and Miranda in front of the orphanage.

“Fine. I think maybe that fruit and nut bar earlier isn’t sitting well with me.”

Rafael frowned. Olivia ate those bars all the time and they’d never given her an issue before. But he wasn’t going to press her for more information now, not with the kids around.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Olivia was cutting the crusts off of the sandwiches for the kids when she heard a knock on the door. McCoy had called Rafael just a few minutes earlier and he had gone into his office to talk to him.

“Is that Lucy?” Noah asked.

“Probably, but you two eat your sandwiches and I’ll go find out,” Olivia replied, setting the plates down on the table and then walking to the door.

* * *

Standing outside Olivia and Rafael’s apartment, Lucy tried to figure out why she had been called there on a Sunday afternoon if it wasn’t to watch Noah. All Olivia had told her was that she and Rafael wanted to talk to her. It made her a bit worried, but she couldn’t think of any reason they would fire her. The best explanation she could come up with was a potential change in schedule for Noah, but even that didn’t seem quite right.

“Hi, Lucy,” she heard Olivia say.

“Hi,” Lucy replied, following the older woman into the apartment. Her eyes immediately landed on the little girl sitting at the table with Noah. “Is Noah having a playdate?”

Olivia smiled and motioned for Lucy to follow her into the living room. “No, not exactly.”

“I’m…confused,” Lucy said as she took a seat on the couch next to Olivia.

“Rafael and I have been considering…expanding our family,” she began.

“So the little girl is…Noah’s potential sister?”

“I guess that’s the best way to describe it. We’re fostering her right now, but neither Rafael nor I anticipate that ending any other way than us adopting her. We thought it was important that she meet you and we wanted to see if you were okay taking care of both of them…we really don’t want to hire anyone else.”

“Of course,” Lucy answered with a smile. “I’m happy to help. I was honestly a little worried that the opposite was going to happen…”

“Never,” Olivia said with a shake of her head. “You’re part of our family.”

Lucy’s smile grew at Olivia’s words. “So, when do I get to officially meet this potential new family member?”

Olivia opened her mouth to respond, but immediately closed it. Standing, she quickly walked down the hall and Lucy heard a door shut. Before she could follow the woman she considered a good friend, she saw Noah walking over holding the hand of the little girl that she had spotted when she first walked in.

“Where did my mom go?” Noah asked.

“She just needed to use the bathroom,” Lucy replied with a smile as she hugged him. When she saw the sad look on the little girl’s face, she moved to kneel in front of her. “Hi, I’m Lucy.”

“I’m Miranda.”

“I help Olivia and Rafael to take care of Noah. Do you think it would be okay if I helped to take care of you, too?”

Miranda looked apprehensive. “Stay with Rafi and Livy,” she insisted.

“Yes. You’d still be staying with them, but when they’re at work or need to go somewhere just the two of them, I’ll be taking care of you.”

“Lucy is the best,” Noah added. “She takes me on special trips sometimes, too.”

“Special trips?” Miranda repeated.

Lucy nodded. “Yes. Like to the zoo or to the park. Sometimes I take Noah to preschool when Liv or Rafael can’t.”

“No school. Stay with Livy and Rafi always.”

“They have to work and do adult things sometimes, sweetheart. So you’ll probably go to daycare, but you’ll get to play with other kids there and make lots of friends.”

Miranda frowned. That sounded too much like the place she’d been living for as long as she could remember.

“It’s not the same as the other place,” Noah insisted. “Even when I go to school, I still get to come home and see my mom and dad.”

Miranda looked to Lucy for confirmation. The older girl smiled at her reassuringly. “It’s true. Sometimes I have to pick Noah up, too, but Liv and Rafael always come home to him.”

Miranda looked sad again. She couldn’t explain how, but she knew the place she’d been staying wasn’t a home. A home had a mommy or a daddy or both. Sometimes even two mommies or two daddies. But she didn’t have either of those. She had Farrah and Father Santiago, and they were nice but they weren’t her mommy and daddy. 

“You could show Lucy your shapes,” Noah suggested, wanting to cheer her up and knowing how much she loved the shapes cube.

“Shapes!” Miranda said excitedly, practically running over to the toy box and digging out the shapes cube.

* * *

Sitting in the bathroom that adjoined her and Rafael’s bedroom, Olivia leaned her back against the tub and brought her knees up to her chest as tears welled in her eyes. She was two weeks late. Her period was never late, even when she was so stressed out she wanted to scream. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have a baby with Rafael, she just hadn’t been expecting it this soon. She wanted to keep Miranda. She couldn’t let that little girl go back to the orphanage. She was meant to be hers and Rafael’s, she just knew it.

“Livia?” she heard Rafael call through the door as he knocked.

“It’s open,” she replied, knowing he’d hear the shakiness in her voice no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

When he opened the door and she saw the concerned look on his face, the tears began to fall. Seconds later, he was on the floor beside her and pulling her into his arms.

“Livia, _mi vida_ , what’s wrong?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her temple as he held her tightly and carded his fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm her down.

Olivia took as deep of a breath as she could manage and attempted to speak. “I want to keep Miranda…” she began.

Rafael frowned as tried to follow her train of thought. “We already talked to Farrah about keeping her longer, remember?”

Olivia shook her head. “Not just for a week or two. Forever. I can’t send her back there, Rafa. I just can’t.”

Rafael knew he couldn’t either. They may have only met her just over twenty-four hours ago, but she was already his daughter in his heart. “Okay, so we won’t.”

Olivia raised her head to look at him. Reaching out, Rafael cupped her face in his hands, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. “She chose us,” he said with a small smile.

“That simple?” Olivia asked.

“That simple,” Rafael replied. Searching her face, he could tell something was still bothering her. “ _Háblame, mi amor_.”

“Rafa, I’m pregnant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miranda's toy: https://www.amazon.com/Play22-Baby-Blocks-Shape-Sorter/dp/B076RHHRN2/ref=asc_df_B076RHHRN2/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312062319564&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12840272118455386666&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019552&hvtargid=pla-557991283810&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=62847940260&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312062319564&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12840272118455386666&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019552&hvtargid=pla-557991283810  
> [this is as close to what I had as a kid that I could find. Mine was yellow all around, but basically it's the same toy. My nieces and nephews loved it, too]
> 
> Translations:  
> abuelita: grandma  
> Sí, por favor: yes, please  
> Te amo, mijo: I love you, my son  
> niños: kids/children [plural]  
> niño: kid/boy [singular]  
> niñita: little girl  
> arroz con pollo: rice with chicken  
> medianoche: litterally means midnight, but in this case, it's a type of (Cuban) sandwich  
> mi alma: my soul  
> ¿De verdad, Mami, regalos?: Really, Mom, presents?  
> Si, mijo, regalos. Solo déjame estropearlos, ¿de acuerdo?: Yes, my son, presents. Just let me spoil them, okay?  
> Gracias: thank you  
> Buñuelos: a sweet-tasting pastry/Spanish fritter (I googled Spanish pastries I think and that's how I found it)  
> pastelitos: type of Cuban pastry  
> mi vida: my life  
> Háblame, mi amor: talk to me, my love


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning on updating this quickly, and was actually working on another story (because my muse refuses to stop giving me ideas for new ones) when I saw the comment from joyfulmariskahgt on the previous chapter. It's the best comment I've ever received on a fic of mine and it made me want to update this faster. So you all can thank them for this fast update :)   
> Special thanks to BaGi14 and thousand_miles for their faithful reviews/comments as well :
> 
> As always, most of my Spanish comes from Google translate and I'm not 100% sure on the syntax of one of the Spanish sentences in this chapter. So my apologies if it's wrong. 
> 
> Some familiar faces are back this chapter, too. Enjoy! :)

* * *

“Rafa, I’m pregnant.”

Hearing his wife’s words, Rafael found himself unable to speak. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t come up with anything intelligible.

“Do you…” Olivia started, but couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

Gathering her close, Rafael pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Of course I want the baby,” he told her. “I just didn’t think it would happen this soon.”

Although she was relieved that her worst fear wasn’t going to come true, Olivia still felt overwhelmed.

“What am I going to do about my job?” she asked.

Rafael pressed a kiss to her forehead and closed his eye as he began to think out loud. “I wish I had an answer for that, _mi vida_. I guess I would start by talking to Dodds. You can still be the commanding officer. Just maybe avoid going out in the field. He has to be able to get you some additional help, at least temporarily. You have Fin, and Amanda and Sonny. You know they’d do anything to help you.”

Olivia lifted her head to look him in the eyes. “A four-year-old, a two-year-old, _and_ a baby? Rafa, are you _sure_?”

Rafael cupped her face in his hands again, resting his forehead against hers. “ _Positive_ ,” he assured her. “We’re a team, _mi vida_. _Mi hermosa alma gemela_. I’ll admit this wasn’t exactly the way I had envisioned expanding our family, but I love you and all _three_ of our children. We’ll figure it out. We have Lucy, and my mom, and the squad. I could even talk to McCoy; see if we can work something out where I can work from home a couple of afternoons a week or something, depending on when I have to be in court. Maybe I’ll tell him he and Dodds can bet on whether we’ll have a girl or a boy.”

Olivia let out a watery laugh at Rafael’s last comment. “You know they would.”

Rafael chuckled as he pulled her close again. “I’m sure they would.”

“I love you.”

Rafael tipped her face up for a kiss. “I love you, too.”

“How are we going to tell the kids? Especially Miranda, who’s already worried about not being able to stay with us?”

“One step at a time. First, let’s tell Miranda that we’re going to keep her. Then, we’ll talk to Dodds and McCoy tomorrow. I don’t have court, so I can go with you. Maybe we hold off on telling the kids until next weekend? Give Miranda a little time to adjust…”

“I’m pretty sure they’re going to start noticing my frequent trips to the bathroom…”

“I know. I just don’t want Miranda to think we don’t want her anymore just because we’re having a biological child.”

Olivia sighed. “I don’t want that, either. Maybe we could hold off just a couple more days, then. Give ourselves a chance to talk to Dodds and McCoy, and then we can sit down with Lucy and talk to her. Noah is probably going to have a lot of questions, and I want to make sure we have as many answers as we can give him.”

Rafael pressed another kiss to Olivia’s forehead before he stood and held his hands out to her. Once she was standing, he pulled her into another hug. Resting her head on his shoulder, she brought one of her hands up to the back of his neck to hold him close.

“You’re _absolutely sure_ this is what you want?” he heard her ask against his shoulder.

“Only with you, Livia.”

* * *

“Everything okay?” Lucy asked when she saw Rafael and Olivia walk back into the living room.

“Yes,” Olivia answered, sharing a smile with Rafael before walking over to the couch and sitting down.

“Shapes!” Miranda said, holding up the cube that now had all of the shapes inside.

“Good job, sweet girl.”

“Like Lucy.”

Lucy smiled. “I like you, too, sweetheart.”

“Me too?’ Noah asked, eliciting a giggle from Miranda.

Lucy laughed and nodded. “You, too.”

“What do you say to Lucy for playing with you?” Rafael asked as he joined Olivia on the couch, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together.

“Thank you, Lucy,” Miranda replied, looking to Rafael for confirmation that that was the correct answer.

“ _Muy bueno, niñita_.”

After sharing a smile with Miranda, Lucy turned to Rafael and Olivia. “Thank you for inviting me over to meet Miranda. I hope to see a lot more of her in the future, but I need to get back home and finish my paper. If it’s okay with you, I thought I could take Miranda and Noah to the aquarium tomorrow?”

“Fish!” Miranda said excitedly before turning to Rafael and Olivia again. “Please?”

“Yes, please? Can we go?” Noah added.

Olivia exchanged a look with Rafael before turning back to their son. “I don’t see why not. But only if you _both_ go to bed nicely tonight.”

“Do we still get a bedtime story?”

“Of course. Now, say goodbye to Lucy so she can go home and finish her schoolwork.”

“Why do you have schoolwork if it’s summer?” Noah wondered.

“I’m taking a couple of summer classes.”

“I don’t think I’d like that.”

“Yeah, I don’t really like it, either, but I have a really great teacher, so that helps.”

Noah thought of his own teachers. He knew he always liked the nice teachers’ classes better, so he guessed it was the same for his nanny.

“More shapes?” Miranda asked.

“Tomorrow,” Lucy promised. “You keep practicing, though.”

Miranda smiled and nodded, opening the cube and dumping the shapes out to begin again.

* * *

Later that night, as she, Rafael, and both kids gathered in Noah’s room for a story, Olivia pulled Miranda onto her lap and looked over at her husband. Pulling Noah onto his own lap, Rafael pressed a kiss to his head before he began to speak.

“Mom and I wanted to talk to you both about something important,” he said.

Seeing that Miranda looked distressed and was on the verge of tears as she clutched Lovey close, Olivia cuddled her close and ran a hand over her hair.

“We get to keep Miranda?” Noah guessed hopefully, not wanting to see the little girl he already thought of as his sister cry.

“Is that something you’d like?” Rafael asked him.

Noah nodded. “Yes.”

“Keep?” Miranda repeated, looking between the two adults.

“Yes, sweet girl, keep,” Olivia replied. “Rafa and I would like for you to be _our_ little girl. You would stay with us forever.”

Miranda suddenly felt a little overwhelmed. She didn’t know how to explain how she was feeling and that just made her even more distressed.

“Shh, sweetheart, don’t cry,” Olivia cooed, running a hand up and down her back as she attempted to soothe her. “Rafa, Noah, and I all love you very much and we want you to be part of our family. You and Noah can play every day, and sometimes Lucy will come to play with you, too. _Abuelita_ will spoil you rotten, and we’ll have family days.”

“Family days always start with pancakes,” Noah added.

“Pancakes?” Miranda asked.

“Do you like pancakes?”

Miranda nodded.

“What kind?”

Miranda looked confused.

“I think she’s probably only ever had plain pancakes, _mijo_ ,” Rafael said.

“Sometimes Dad puts chocolate chips in them. Other times, he puts blueberries in them. Mom loves blueberry pancakes,” Noah explained. “We have _pastelitos_ on Sundays a lot, too. Sometimes we go to _Abuelita’s_ to have them and sometimes she brings them here.”

“All this talk of food is making me hungry,” Olivia joked, though she actually was beginning to get hungry.

“We’ll have to teach _tu hermana_ the merits of snacks, too, right, _mijo_?” Rafael asked Noah with a grin.

“Yes,” Noah agreed, returning his father’s grin.

“My boys love their snacks,” Olivia said to Miranda. “So, what do you say, sweet girl? Do you want to stay with Rafa, Noah, and me forever?”

“Forever?” Miranda checked.

“ _Siempre_ ,” Rafael replied.

Miranda nodded resolutely. “Stay forever.”

Noah cheered, then leaned forward to hug his new sister, his smile growing when he felt Olivia and Rafael hug both him and Miranda.

“Lovey stay too?” Miranda asked.

“Lovey can stay, too,” Olivia replied with a laugh.

* * *

Lying with her head on Rafael’s shoulder, Olivia smiled as she felt him run his fingers through her hair.

“I’ve been thinking about Miranda’s name,” she confessed.

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I figured as much. What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking we could continue the pattern of a last name as a middle name. For the kids, anyway. Like how Noah’s middle name is Porter…”

“So…Miranda Ramos Barba?”

“What do you think?”

“I like it.”

After a few moments of silence, Olivia spoke again.

“I may have also been thinking about names for the baby.”

“Already?”

“I may have been thinking about them since before I knew I was pregnant.”

“ _May_?”

Olivia sighed, lifting her head and resting her chin on the arm that was lying across Rafael’s chest so she could look at him.

“Okay, I _have_ been thinking about them since before I knew I was pregnant,” she admitted.

“Are you going to tell me what they are?”

Olivia suddenly felt very nervous. When she and Rafael had agreed that they would try for a child of their own, she had immediately known they would have one of two names.

Sensing his wife’s nervousness, Rafael reached up and ran his fingers through her hair again. “You know you can tell me anything, _mi vida_.”

Olivia nodded. Taking a deep breath, she revealed the names. “If it’s a girl, Catalina. If it’s a boy, Antonio.”

Rafael felt tears well in his eyes. Catalina was his _abuelita’s_ first name and Antonio was his _abuelito’s_ middle name. Leaning forward, he captured Olivia’s lips in a passionate kiss.

“ _Te amo mucho, mi hermosa alma gemela. Me haces tan feliz_ ,” he said a few minutes later as they breathlessly broke apart and rested their foreheads together.

“ _También te amo, mi guapo alma gemela_. _También me haces feliz_ ,” Olivia replied. “Do you really like the names?”

“I love them. I’m just a little worried about Noah feeling left out. We have Miranda now and then to add Catalina or Antonio…”

Olivia shrugged. She didn’t think Noah would care, but she’d thought about that, too. “We could call them Catie and Tony for short? I’m more worried about Noah being able to keep the baby a secret until we’re ready to tell everyone.”

“Do you think we should wait to tell him?”

Olivia sighed. “I don’t know. I just don’t know what to tell him if I suddenly have to run off to the bathroom. I’m hoping it gets less frequent, but I honestly don’t know. I remember Amanda saying she threw up almost every morning for two months when she was pregnant with Jessie. Sonny said two of his sisters were the same way, but one never had any morning sickness.”

Rafael chuckled. “How did morning sickness come up as a topic of conversation in your squad room?”

Olivia smiled and shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Amanda or Sonny. I wondered the same thing at the time, but Dodds was waiting for me, so I didn’t really have time to contemplate it.”

* * *

Sitting in the conference room at the DA’s office waiting for Olivia and Rafael, who had requested to meet them together, Dodds looked over at his friend with confusion written all over his face.

“Do you have any idea what this is about?” he asked.

Jack shrugged. “Rafael didn’t say. I called him yesterday to talk about some cases and then less than an hour later, he’s calling me back to tell me that he and Olivia want to meet with me and you.”

“You don’t think they’re leaving, do you?”

Jack shook his head. “No. They wouldn’t have requested a joint meeting if that were the case.”

Dodds sighed as he tried to figure out what was going on. He hadn’t been thinking about it long when he saw Rafael and Olivia walk in holding hands.

“What was so important that all four of us had to be present at the same time?” Jack asked as the couple took seats opposite him and Dodds.

After exchanging a look with Olivia, Rafael spoke first. “There have been some…recent developments…in our family that we thought you should be appraised of.”

“Enough with the fancy words, Rafael, just get to the point.”

“We are adopting a little girl and I’m pregnant,” Olivia blurted out, smiling a little to herself at the shocked expressions on the older men’s faces.

“Congratulations,” Dodds said, the first to regain his composure.

“I’m still not sure what that has to do with Dodds and me,” Jack added.

“Olivia will no longer be going out in the field,” Rafael said matter-of-factly, “and she’s going to need additional help now that Amaro has left. We’re also asking that you both give us a bit of leniency with how much we need to be in the office. Our work will not suffer, but Miranda is still very insecure about her place in our family and we want to do everything we can to make sure she is important to us, even with Olivia and I having a child of our own.”

“I’m sure Fin will have no problem taking on the role of commanding officer while in the field, and I would still be available via phone if needed,” Olivia added. Biting her lip, she contemplated whether or not to reveal the next bit of information to the two older men. But she felt it was important to be completely honest. “I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to _get_ pregnant, but now that I am, I’m determined to do everything I can to make sure I have a healthy pregnancy _and_ that the baby is healthy. I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and I’m sure I could provide a note with specific restrictions if necessary. I can still be commanding officer of SVU. I can still take statements in the squad room and fill out paperwork. I may have to delegate a bit more, especially as I get closer to my due date, but I _know_ I can make this work if you’ll help me.”

“What do you need from me?” Jack wondered.

“I have a home office-I can be available via conference call or phone if necessary. But at least while Miranda is adjusting, I’m asking for leniency with the amount of time I need to be in the office here. I will be in court whenever I need to be and I can assure you that none of my cases will suffer. When Liv gets closer to having the baby, I want to be able to be there for her however she needs me,” Rafael answered.

“We would even be willing to look the other way if you two decided to put a friendly wager on the sex of the baby,” Olivia added with a smile, eliciting chuckles from the two older men.

“You know,” Dodds began. “Jack and I were just talking the other day about who would be a good fit for this special investigator that the NYPD and DA’s office wanted to hire to look into some cold SVU cases. Should any suspects be able to be charged, we would also need someone to prosecute those cases. You and Rafael have already proven that you’re the best at what you do, and it would save us the headache of trying to find two new people.”

Catching onto his friend’s idea, Jack continued. “The budget that was set aside for those positions could be redistributed to get you more help at SVU, and since we’d be taking some of their commanding officer’s time, it would be the least we could do.”

Olivia gripped Rafael’s hand tightly as she felt tears prick her eyes. “So what you’re saying is I could stay on as Lieutenant of SVU _and_ be doing the DA’s office a favor?”

“If Sergeant Tutola is willing to step up and take on some additional responsibility in the field, which for you I have no doubt he will, Jack and I are willing to be a little lenient ourselves. As you would be doing both of us favors.”

“I can talk to Fin when I get in,” Olivia promised. “I have one final request, though.”

“What’s that?”

“I have a detective in mind that I would like to hire. She’s worked with SVU in the past, but she’s not NYPD. However, I know she’s looking to move to the city to be closer to her brother.”

Dodds mentally went through the list of candidates he’d been looking at for the special investigator position, but couldn’t think of anyone who fit Olivia’s description.

“And this detective’s name _is_ …?”

“Erin Lindsay.”

* * *

“Fin, my office,” Olivia said as she walked through the squad room.

“Everything’ okay, Liv?” Fin asked as he followed her into her office and shut the door before taking a seat in front of her desk.

“Rafael and I met a little girl this weekend that we have decided to adopt…and I’m pregnant.”

Fin didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “Damn, Liv, that’s quite the way to start a sentence.”

“Sorry,” Olivia apologized with a smile. “Rafael’s been hovering all morning and it’s driving me a little crazy.”

“Can you blame ‘im?”

Olivia sighed. “No, not really.”

“What do you need from me?”

“I’m not going to be going out into the field anymore.”

“Is that your decision or Rafael’s?”

“Mine, but he agrees.”

Fin nodded.

“Rafael just wants what’s best for me _and_ the baby.”

“I don’t doubt that, but you’re fiercely independent, Liv, and I want you to be okay with whatever changes are happening.”

“I appreciate the concern, but really, Rafa and I are on the same page with this. We talked about it last night and then we talked to Dodds and McCoy this morning.”

Fin nodded again. “What can I do for ya?”

“When you’re out in the field, you have full commanding officer authority. I’ll be available via phone if needed, but I trust you, Fin. I’ll talk to Amanda and Sonny about all of this, but I wanted to talk to you first, make sure you were on board.”

“I’m here for ya. Whatever you need. You just say the word. Stress isn’t good for you _or_ that baby.”

“I also asked Dodds for an additional detective and I’m going to be looking at some cold SVU cases for McCoy. Rafa will still be our ADA, and he’ll prosecute any of the cold cases if possible. I would like to remain informed about cases, and I’m always happy to help however I can. That’s just going to have to be things I can do from here.”

“Did you make some kind of deal with Dodds and McCoy where they could bet on something involving you and Rafael?”

Olivia laughed. “We did tell them they could bet on the sex of the baby. I was thinking you and Rita might like a night out courtesy of them.”

Fin grinned at her. “So what you’re sayin’ is there might be some carefully placed hints?”

“It’s very possible. You know how… _forgetful_ …pregnant women can get.”

“Hmm. I’ll keep that in mind. But, seriously, Liv, _whatever_ you need, I’m here for ya.”

Olivia hugged her long-time friend. “I know. That means _so much_ , Fin, I can’t even tell you.”

Fin nodded, and then decided to change the subject. “So, when do I get to meet this new little girl of yours?”

* * *

After filling in Amanda and Sonny on the new developments, Olivia was working her way through a stack of paperwork when she heard her phone indicating she had a new message. Opening it, she saw that Lucy had sent her a picture of Noah and Miranda at the aquarium. They were holding hands as they gazed up at various kinds of fish in one of the tanks inside of a tunnel. Smiling, she sent a quick thank you text to Lucy before going back to her paperwork, eager to get home to her family.

* * *

“Barba,” Rafael answered absently, hearing his phone ring but not bothering to look who was calling.

“Hi Rafael, my name is Ben…I live next door to you and you gave me your number a few months back, told me to call you if I needed anything.”

Rafael vaguely remembered that conversation. It had been around the same time Olivia and Noah had moved in, and those few months were a bit of a blur with all the packing and boxes.

“Sure. What can I do for you?”

“I’m moving back home to Colorado and I was just wondering if you would be interested in buying my place. I talked to Kelly in the office and Tammy overheard her, and as I left, I heard her asking Kelly about a deal for her sister.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. He had unfortunately met Tammy’s sister, Geri. She was about as obnoxious as they come and he’d overheard Tammy saying the woman had had several noise complaints at her previous residence. That was _not_ someone he wanted living near him, especially not with two little kids and another on the way.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but what would I do with your place? I have a family now…”

“Sorry, I’m getting to that. So, after Tammy asked Kelly about a deal, Kelly told her that you had asked about a larger place just this morning and thought instead of making you and your family move to another unit, they could just combine yours with mine to make one larger unit. I won’t need any furniture other than what I have in my bedroom, so I was just going to sell all of it. But if you buy my place, you could just have the furniture I don’t need. It would save me a headache as I’m starting a new job in two weeks and still need to get everything settled in the new place in Colorado.”

“I would have to talk to Olivia, but I’m definitely interested. Are you going to be around any time the next few evenings? If Olivia is interested, maybe we could get together with Kelly to discuss things further.”

“Um, I think so. I don’t have any plans. Just let me know.”

“I will. Thanks for the heads up.”

* * *

“Thank you for bringing the rest of Miranda’s things,” Olivia said to Farrah as she let the older woman into the apartment the next night after dinner. “Rafael should be back shortly. We are looking at buying the unit next to us and combining it with ours to make more room for our family, so he’s meeting with the current resident and the building manager.”

“I’m just thrilled that she has finally found a home.”

“It was meant to be.”

Farrah nodded, smiling when she saw Miranda playing on the floor of the living room with Noah. The little girl wasn’t as happy to see Farrah, though.

“NO!” she shouted, tears beginning to stream down her face as she stood and ran back to her room, mistaking the bag in the older woman’s hand for one that would be used to take her things back to the orphanage.

“I’m sorry,” Olivia apologized. “I’ll be right back.”

“It’s not the first time this has happened,” Farrah assured her. “Give Miranda my love. Hopefully Father Santiago and I will see her again soon.”

“What’s wrong with Miranda?” Noah asked his mother after she had walked Farrah to the door.

“She’s just scared,” Olivia answered. “You can turn on some cartoons if you’d like. Dad should be back shortly. I’m going to go talk to Miranda.”

“She’s still staying, right?”

Olivia smiled and nodded, walking over to her son and bending to press a kiss to the top of his head. “She is. Like I said, she’s just scared. She needs a little more reassurance until the doubt begins to go away.”

“I made her a sign for her room. Like I have for mine. You could give it to her.”

“I’ll make sure she knows it’s from you,” Olivia told him with a smile as she took the colorful piece of paper off of the coffee table and headed down the hall to her daughter’s room.

* * *

Walking into Miranda’s room, Olivia set the sign from Noah on the dresser before she took a seat on the bed and pulled the little girl into her arms.

“Miranda, my sweet girl, why at you so upset?” she asked, rubbing her back.

“No go with Farrah,” Miranda cried, wrapping her arms tightly around Olivia’s neck and burying her face in her shoulder.

“Farrah was just here to bring us the rest of your things. Your dad and I thought you might like to have them. We already told her you’re staying with us forever.”

Miranda sniffled, but didn’t release her hold on Olivia.

“Sweetheart, will you look at me?” Olivia asked.

Miranda sniffled again, but did as Olivia requested.

“This is your home now. With me, Noah, and Rafa. Noah is your brother, and Rafa and I are your parents. In a few weeks, we’re going to have a party to celebrate and you’ll meet lots more of your family members.”

“Family?” Miranda repeated.

Olivia smiled at her as she pushed some hair out of the little girl’s face. “Yes, baby, family. Lots of family.”

Miranda reached for Lovey and then snuggled close to Olivia. “Mommy,” she whispered.

Looking up, Olivia saw Rafael leaning against the door frame with a smile on his face.

“You know your mom is probably going to bawl her eyes out when Miranda first calls her _Abuelita_ ,” she said to him.

Rafael chuckled as he nodded. “Oh, I have no doubt.”

Hearing Rafael’s voice, Miranda leapt off of Olivia’s lap and ran over to him, giggling when he scooped her up and tickled her lightly. Picking up the sign from the dresser, Rafael handed it to his daughter. “Shall we hang this up?”

“Noah made it for you,” Olivia explained as she stood and joined them.

“Now our doors will match,” Noah said as he appeared on the other side of Rafael.

“For me?” Miranda repeated, looking at the sign and then at Noah.

Noah nodded. “It has your name on it. I even made it blue like mine.”

“Like blue.”

Shifting Miranda to his hip, Rafael bent to pick up Noah and hold him on his other hip. He would never tire of holding his kids.

“We need a new family picture!” Noah suddenly announced.

“Let’s hang the sign first, and then we can take a picture,” Olivia suggested. “After that, it’s bath and bed for both of you.”

“Daddy read story?” Miranda asked.

Olivia shared a smile with Rafael before she answered. “Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (new) translations:  
> Muy bueno, niñita: very good, little girl  
> tu hermana: your sister  
> siempre: forever/always  
> Te amo mucho, mi hermosa alma gemela. Me haces tan feliz: I love you so much, my beautiful soul mate. You make me so happy.  
> También te amo, mi guapo alma gemela. También me haces feliz: I love you, too, my handsome soul mate. You make me happy, too.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of got away from me, but I wanted to move things along a bit. 
> 
> Special thanks to my faithful reviewers thousand_miles, joyfulmariskhgt, and BaGi14. 
> 
> If you want to chat with me, you can follow me on Tumblr and/or Twitter, I'm blk0912 on both of those too :)
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

Sitting in the doctor’s office listening to her talk about everything they were going to do that day, Olivia suddenly felt very overwhelmed and was glad Rafael had insisted on going with her. She gripped his hand tightly as she tried to process everything. After confirming her pregnancy, the doctor began asking her a series of questions about her medical history. When she asked about any known health problems on her father’s side, she grew very quiet.

“Liv, you okay?” Rafael asked, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles.

“I don’t know anything about my biological father’s family,” Olivia said softly. “I was, um. My father raped my mother. That’s how I was conceived.”

The doctor, a woman named Ivy Monroe nodded. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you,” she apologized.

“You didn’t have any way of knowing.”

“Still. I don’t like seeing any of my patients upset.”

“I don’t dwell on it. It has no bearing on my life now.”

“That’s good to hear,” Dr. Monroe said with a smile. “Now, we’re just waiting on the results of a few more tests, but I have a list of pre-natal vitamins that I’d like you to begin taking. I want to see you every week, and you can feel free to call the clinic at any time if you have any questions about anything. There’s an after-hours number as well, so you can leave a message and someone will get back to you within a half an hour. If it’s urgent, I’d like you to go to, or at least call, the ER.”

Olivia nodded, accepting the paperwork Dr. Monroe held out to her.

“You have two children at home, correct?” she asked.

“Yes,” Olivia replied with a smile. “Noah will be five next week and Miranda is two. We, um, weren’t exactly planning on getting pregnant this soon. We’re still in the process of adopting Miranda.”

“I understand. Now, about your job…I understand you’re a lieutenant with the NYPD?”

“Yes. I’ve already spoken with my boss about some adjustments at work. I’m pretty much going to be drowning in paperwork for the foreseeable future, but he’s willing to work with me. My squad knows about the pregnancy and my second-in-command is more than willing to step up and help me. I’m not going to be going out into the field anytime soon.”

“Good, good. Do you need a note from me about your restrictions?”

Olivia turned to look at Rafael, wondering how she should answer that. She knew she technically didn’t need it.

“I don’t think it would hurt to have something we can put on file,” he answered. “Just in case there are any questions from the higher ups.”

“He’s a lawyer,” Olivia explained with a smile. “He _likes_ paperwork. Almost as much as he likes arguing.”

Dr. Monroe smiled at the obvious affection between the couple and sincerely hoped this pregnancy went well for them. Refreshing the page on the computer, she saw the new test results had come in.

“Everything looks really good, Olivia. I highly encourage you to take the pre-natal vitamins I suggested, but it’s completely up to you. I’m happy to hear your job is willing to make adjustments for you, but I want you to watch your stress levels. If you’re feeling fatigued, take a break. I would also encourage some light exercise, maybe a short daily walk if you’re feeling up to it. Unless you have any other questions for me, I will see you next week.”

Olivia looked over at Rafael, who shook his head to indicate he didn’t have any questions.

“I think we just need to process everything right now. We might have more questions next week.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, as she was trying to find items that she could use to help organize her office a little more, Olivia let out a frustrated groan when she realized what she wanted was on a shelf she couldn’t reach. Walking back into the squad room, she smiled when she saw Sonny.

“Carisi,” she said, gaining the younger man’s attention. “I need your help.”

“Sure thing, Lu,” he agreed, standing and walking over to her. “What’s up?”

Olivia pointed to the items she wanted. “I need…” she began, stopping when she suddenly felt lightheaded. Sonny immediately put his arms around her and led her to sit in a nearby chair.

“Lu, you okay?” he asked.

“Just a little lightheaded. I’ll be fine. Please don’t tell Rafa. He’ll hover.”

Sonny chuckled. “As long as you don’t faint, I promise to keep this between us. My sister, Teresa, got dizzy spells during her second pregnancy. They got better after the first trimester. Can I get you anything?”

“I have water in my office, but thank you. I should probably eat something, too. I know this child is definitely Rafa’s because it already likes to snack.”

Sonny chuckled again. “You seem really happy.”

“I am,” Olivia told him with a smile. “We have a meeting next week with Judge Linden to finalize Miranda’s adoption.”

“That’s great. She doin’ okay?”

“Better every day. She still has a bit of a hard time letting Rafa and I leave in the morning, but she’s smiling so much more now. She and Noah already adore each other. Even Eddie and Lovey get along.”

“Who’s Lovey?”

“Her bear. Lucia got it for her.”

“I bet she’s over the moon about everything.”

“We haven’t told her, or the kids, about the baby yet. Lucy is meeting me for lunch tomorrow, and then Rafa and I will tell the kids about the baby tomorrow night. I don’t want to tell a lot of other people until I’m further along.”

“Understandable.”

“Why don’t you and Amanda bring Jessie by tonight? You can meet Miranda and Noah will be thrilled to see all three of you.”

“I’ll talk to Manda when she and Fin get back. But I don’t think we have anything planned. Now, you sit here and I’ll get those things you wanted from the storage closet.”

Olivia smiled at him. “Thanks, Sonny.”

* * *

“Shapes done!”

At the sound of her daughter’s excited voice, Olivia smiled. Rafael and Noah were in the kitchen cooking while she and Miranda played in the living room.

“Good job, sweet girl,” she said. “How about you try a puzzle now?”

“Puzzle?”

Olivia nodded, reaching for a wooden puzzle she and Rafael had purchased for Miranda over the weekend and handing to the little girl. Dumping the pieces on the ground, Miranda quickly went to work putting them back in their proper places as she bopped her head to the music Rafael had put on in the background.

* * *

In the kitchen, Noah frowned as he tried to smooth out the pizza crust he and Rafael had made. His attempts only seemed to make it worse.

“Here, _mijo_ , try using this,” Rafael suggested, handing him a spoon that he’d sprayed non-stick spray on.

Noah nodded, taking the spoon, smiling when he was able to smooth out the crust with no further problems.

“Is it time to add the sauce and toppings now?” he asked, looking up at his father.

“Yes. I’ll get them,” Rafael replied, opening a jar of pizza sauce and grabbing another spoon. Scooping a small spoonful of sauce onto the crust, he used the spoon to spread it around. “Spread it around like this.”

Noah nodded again, carefully following Rafael’s instructions before they both added the cheese and other toppings they had chosen and then putting the pizza in the oven.

“Can I set the timer?” Noah asked.

“Of course,” Rafael replied, lifting the boy into his arms so he could reach the microwave. Once the timer was set, he walked the boy into the bathroom and sat him down on the counter so he could wash his face.

“Do I have to take a bath before Uncle Sonny and Aunt Amanda get here?”

“I don’t think so. But we should probably clean up the kitchen before that,” Rafael answered, taking Noah’s chin between his thumb and pointer finger so he could wash the crust off of the boy’s face. “There. Much better.”

“I should probably get Mom’s approval,” Noah said with a grin.

Rafael chuckled, ruffling his hair. “Probably a good idea,” he agreed, lifting him off the counter. “Go give your mom a hug and then meet me back in the kitchen.”

* * *

“Hi, Mom,” Noah greeted, wrapping his arms around her neck to hug her. He and Rafael had been busy making the pizza crust when she got home and that meant he hadn’t gotten to hug her yet.

“Hi, my sweet boy,” Olivia replied, returning his hug. “Are you all cleaned up?”

“Dad said it was a good idea to get your approval.”

Olivia laughed as she inspected her son’s face. “Looks good to me. I guess you’ve earned your pizza.” When she noticed he looked a little sad, she ran a hand through his hair as she spoke again. “What’s wrong, baby?”

Noah bit his lip. He wasn’t really sure how to ask his question without upsetting his sister.

“Can we have some you and me time soon?” he asked a few seconds later.

“I’d like that,” Olivia replied with a smile. “Why don’t you think about what you’d like to do and we can talk about it during bath time?”

“Okay,” Noah agreed, giving his mother another hug before returning to his father’s side to help him clean up the kitchen.

* * *

“Everything okay, _mijo_?” Rafael asked, having noticed the change in his son’s mood.

Noah sighed. “I really like Miranda and all, but I miss you and Mom.”

Rafael knelt down next to him. “I understand. But we talked to you about this, remember? Just because our attention is more divided doesn’t mean we love you any less.”

“I know…but I still miss you. Mom said we could have some her and me time soon, and I should think about what I want to do.”

“We could have a father-son day, too, if you want?” Rafael suggested. “Or at least an afternoon just the two of us.”

Noah smiled at the suggestion. “Could we get ice cream?”

Rafael laughed, pulling Noah into a hug. “Sure, _mijo_ , we can get ice cream. I was thinking maybe we could go see that new Lego movie and eat at the diner across the street afterwards.”

Noah pulled back to look at his father. “Really?”

“Really. But your Mom and I also need your help making sure Miranda understands that she is family now. Do you think you can do that?”

“Why is she so worried about it anyway?”

Rafael sighed, taking a moment to think about the best way to explain Miranda’s past to a four-year-old. “She saw a lot of other kids get chosen before her, and the two families she spent a lot of time with in the past decided they didn’t want her anymore and they brought her back to the orphanage.”

“Oh.”

“So you can understand why she’d be insecure?”

Noah nodded. “She’s ours now.”

Rafael smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss to Noah’s forehead. “Exactly right, _mijo_.”

* * *

As he was cutting the pizza, Rafael felt a tug on his pants. Looking down, he saw Miranda standing next to him.

“Just a minute, _niñita,_ I need to finish cutting the pizza,” he told her.

Miranda frowned, but waited as patiently as she could manage by looking at the pictures on the fridge. She giggled when she felt Rafael lift her into his arms a short while later. When she heard the knock on the door, she turned to him in confusion. “Friends?” she asked.

“Shall we go find out?” he asked, shifting her to his hip as he walked.

* * *

Opening the door, Rafael smiled when he saw Sonny, Amanda, and Jessie. His smile grew when he saw Fin and Rita standing behind them.

“We brought some extra pizza,” Fin said, holding up a couple of boxes.

“Come in,” Rafael told them, motioning for them to head into the living room.

“Uncle Sonny! Auntie Amanda! _Tía_ Rita! Uncle Fin!” Noah said excitedly when he saw his parents’ friends.

Amanda looked over at Rita. “Why are you _Tía_ Rita?” she asked.

Rita shrugged. “I think because I was friends with Rafael first? Rafael jokingly suggested it one day and it just kind of stuck.”

* * *

After setting the pizza boxes on the kitchen counter, Olivia joined her family in the living room. Noah and Jessie were playing together, but Miranda remained glued to Rafael.

“Miranda, sweet girl, these people are good friends of Mommy and Daddy’s. Remember I told you that you would be meeting more family?” Olivia began.

Miranda nodded, but didn’t release her hold on Rafael. Continuing, Olivia walked around and touched the arm of each person as she introduced them. “This is your Uncle Sonny, Aunt Amanda, Uncle Fin, and _Tía_ Rita. The little girl is Sonny and Amanda’s daughter, Jessie.”

Miranda looked at each of them before turning and promptly burying her face in Rafael’s shoulder.

“I think she’s a little overwhelmed,” Olivia explained with an apologetic smile.

“I hope you don’t mind, but we brought gifts,” Amanda said, holding up a small gift bag.

“Of course not. But I think maybe Miranda would do better being re-introduced to one person at a time.”

The four adults exchanged looks before Sonny laid down on the floor between Noah and Jessie, quickly asking to be filled in on their game, while Rita and Fin went with Olivia into the kitchen to begin dishing up the pizza and getting drinks ready. Still holding the small gift bag, Amanda knelt on the floor near where Rafael and Miranda were sitting on the couch.

“Miranda, _niñita_ ,” Rafael began, attempting to turn her to sit in his lap. “Can you say hi to Aunt Amanda?”

Miranda leaned against Rafael’s chest as she regarded the blonde woman. “Hi,” she said softly a few moments later.

Amanda smiled at her. “I brought you a present.”

Miranda perked up at this. “Present?”

“Yes, a present,” Amanda repeated, handing the bag to Rafael.

“Shall we open it?” he asked Miranda, who nodded enthusiastically and quickly pulled the tissue paper from the bag.

“Kitties!” Miranda said excitedly when she saw the puzzle.

“One side is in English, the other is in Spanish,” Amanda explained. “I know you and Liv are teaching the kids both.”

“It’s great,” Rafael told her with a smile before turning his attention back to his daughter. “What do you say, _mija_?”

“Thank you.”

“It was nice to meet you, Miranda,” Amanda said with a smile before trading places with Sonny so he could introduce himself to the little girl.

* * *

After dinner, the adults settled on the couches while the kids played in front of them.

“She’s adorable,” Rita said to Olivia and Rafael. “Where did you find her?”

“She found Liv first,” Rafael answered as he played with the ends of Olivia’s hair. “We were helping my mom with this picnic for the orphanage that our church runs and Miranda ran right up to Liv.”

“More like right _into_ me,” Olivia corrected with a laugh. “Literally. I was helping to set up a table and all of the sudden this little body collides with my legs. She apparently usually doesn’t do that to strangers.”

“Maybe you weren’t a stranger,” Sonny theorized, earning him confused looks from the other adults. “I mean, like she was obviously meant to be yours, so maybe your souls recognized each other.”

Olivia smiled at him, leaning over to pat his knee. “I like that theory,” she said.

“You’re such a romantic, Sonny,” Amanda teased, but she liked that theory, too.

“It’s in my blood,” he replied.

“I think you and Rafael are spending too much time together if you’re talking like that,” Rita joked, earning her an eye roll from Rafael and a laugh from Olivia.

* * *

Later that night, as Rafael was trying to get Miranda settled for bed, he frowned when he saw her lift her pillows and covers, messing up her bed.

“ _Niñita_ , what are you doing?” he asked.

“Lovey missing!” she answered, on the verge of tears.

Looking around the room, he spotted the bear sitting on a nearby chair. After retrieving it, he handed it to Miranda.

“It’s time for bed, _mija_ ,” Rafael said as he readjusted her pillow.

Miranda hugged the bear close and then laid her head on the pillow, waiting for Rafael to cover her up. “New book?” she asked hopefully, referring to the new books that she had gotten along with the puzzle.

“Not tonight, _niñita_. It’s late.”

Miranda frowned. “Please?” she tried again.

Rafael reluctantly shook his head. “ _Lo siento, mija_. It’s already past your bedtime.”

“Not tired.”

Remembering something his mother used to do to help him sleep, Rafael took a seat on the edge of Miranda’s bed and began lightly rubbing her back. The little girl seemed to like the action as she was soon fast asleep.

* * *

“Miranda give you trouble?” Olivia asked as Rafael joined her in their bed.

“A little, but she’s asleep now,” he answered, pulling her into his arms.

“Did Noah talk to you about wanting alone time with each of us?”

“He did. I had already planned on taking him to that new Lego movie and then to eat at the diner across from the theater.”

“How is he going to handle _another_ sibling so soon?” Olivia worried.

“Livia, he’ll be _fine_ ,” Rafael assured her. “We’re all going to have to adjust, but we’ll make it work. I think once he realizes that we’re going to keep our promise to make time for him individually, he’ll be fine. He loves Miranda and he’ll love the baby, too.”

“He wants me to take him for ice cream.”

Rafael chuckled. “He asked me about that, too.”

This time it was Olivia’s turn to laugh. “He’s just trying to get double the ice cream.”

“I mean, I can’t really blame him.”

Olivia smiled. Snacks, coffee, and dessert were all things synonymous with Rafael. He was also a cuddler. But only she and their children knew that side of him and she loved that.

“What are you thinking about, _mi vida_?” Rafael asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“You,” Olivia answered. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“What you said the other day, when I told you I was pregnant, about not wanting this with anyone else? I feel the same way. There’s no one else I would want to spend my life with, to raise my children with.”

Rafael bit back his sarcastic retort at the sight of tears in his wife’s eyes. “ _Mi alma gemela,”_ he said softly, pulling her close.

“I don’t think I could handle it if something happens to the baby.”

“Livia, _mi amor_ , _nothing_ bad is going to happen to the baby. You heard what the doctor said, everything looks really good.”

“I had a dizzy spell again today,” Olivia confessed after a few moments of silence.

“Olivia…”

“Sonny was there, and I’m fine.”

“Maybe I should just ask McCoy for another desk for my office.”

Olivia pressed a kiss to her husband’s lips. “Rafa, you don’t need to hover. I’m _fine_. I was in the storage room looking for something and I had just pointed it out to Sonny when I started to feel dizzy. He made sure I sat down and drank some water. I even had a snack afterwards. I asked him not to tell you, but I know he would have disregarded that request if it were serious.”

“You and our kids mean _everything_ to me, Livia,” he told her. “I’ve never been this happy before. I never let myself even _imagine_ I could be.”

Olivia wiped the tears from Rafael’s cheeks before leaning forward to kiss him again. “I know. If it will make you feel better, I could work from your office tomorrow morning. Then you can buy me lunch and walk me to the precinct, where _you_ can work from _my_ office. Unless you have meetings or court?”

Rafael thought about his schedule. Carmen had set up reminders on his phone if he had meetings or court and he hadn’t gotten any notifications. He couldn’t remember anything pressing off the top of his head, either. “I don’t think so. I know I don’t have court at the very least. I can reschedule my meetings. Spending the day working with you sounds amazing.”

“You’re not going to get sick of me?” Olivia teased in an effort to lighten the mood. She hated seeing him sad.

“Never,” Rafael promised, pulling her close for another kiss.

Olivia smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Love you, Rafa,” she mumbled sleepily.

Rafael pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he tightened his arm around her. “Love you, too, Livia.”

* * *

As she walked into the courthouse, Lucy took out her phone and brought up the message from Olivia containing the instructions on how to find Rafael’s office. She had messaged her earlier saying her morning plans had changed, she was working from Rafael’s office instead of her own, but they would both like to talk to her over lunch.

“Can I help you find someone?” a polite voice asked from nearby.

Looking up, Lucy saw a young woman sitting at a desk.

“I’m looking for Rafael Barba. Olivia told me I could find both of them here.”

“You must be Lucy,” the young woman said with a smile. “I’m Carmen, Rafael’s assistant. You can go right in, they’re expecting you.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

Walking into Rafael’s office, Lucy was surprised by how large it was. Looking over to the small conference table, she saw Rafael and Olivia with their heads bent over a file.

“I come bearing gifts,” Lucy joked, holding up the take out bag that contained the lunch the couple had ordered for the three of them.

“Hi, Lucy,” Olivia greeted, standing to hug her while Rafael cleared space on the conference table.

“So where are the kids today?”

“At Amanda’s. Rafael and I appreciate you taking the time to meet us.”

“Of course,” Lucy replied as she accepted a hug from Rafael.

* * *

Once they had finished eating, Olivia reached for Rafael’s hand before turning to Lucy.

“Rafael and I have decided to adopt Miranda,” she began. When Lucy opened her mouth to speak, Olivia held up her hand. “There’s more.”

“More?” Lucy repeated.

“I’m also pregnant.”

“Wow. Have you told the kids yet?”

“Not yet,” Rafael answered. “We wanted to get some things sorted out before we did that.”

“I’m happy to help however I can. With the kids and with things around the house.”

“Thank you,” Olivia said. “That means so much, Lucy.”

* * *

After dinner, Olivia and Rafael sat the two kids between them on the couch.

“Your dad and I have something important we want to talk to you both about,” Olivia began.

“Is something wrong?” Noah asked, holding onto Eddie tightly while Miranda did the same to Lovey.

“No.”

“You’re both going to have another sibling in about six months,” Rafael told them, earning him two confused looks from the kids.

“Mommy is going to have a baby,” Olivia added, placing a hand on her still flat stomach.

“No!” Miranda exclaimed, sliding off the couch and running down the hall to her room before either Olivia or Rafael could catch her.

“Noah?” Olivia asked, anxious awaiting her son’s reaction.

“Are you going to love the baby more than me?”

Olivia and Rafael pulled him into a hug.

“No, sweet boy, never,” Olivia told him. “Your dad and I love you very much. I know this a lot to adjust to, but you’re already such a good big brother and we’re still going to make time for you to spend with us each individually. I’m sure _Abuelita_ or Lucy could take Miranda sometimes so we could have time the three of us, too.”

“Why did Miranda say ‘no’ like that?”

“She…spent some time with other families in the past who got her hopes up that they were going to adopt her, that she could stay with them, but then they brought her back to the orphanage,” Rafael reminded him.

“But you and Mom wouldn’t do that. She’s family now.”

“That’s exactly right, _mijo_. She doesn’t quite realize that yet, though, and she still needs a lot of reassurance.”

“I don’t want her to be sad. But I don’t know how to help.”

“I think a Noah hug would go a long way,” Olivia suggested. “You know how they always make your dad and I feel better.”

Noah nodded. “I can do that. Eddie said he’d even let Lovey have some of his ice cream next time we’re allowed to have it.”

Rafael chuckled, then stood and lifted Noah into his arms. “Come on, _mijo_ , let’s go talk to _tu hermana_.”

Noah rested his head on Rafael’s shoulder. “You, too, Mom,” he said, holding out his hand for Olivia.

Olivia smiled as she stood and following her husband and son into Miranda’s room.

* * *

“No go! Stay here!” Miranda cried, hugging Lovey tightly as she lay curled on her bed, tears streaming down her face.

“You _are_ staying here, sweet girl,” Olivia assured her, pulling the girl into her arms and holding her close, pushing stray hair from her face. “Remember, we’re meeting with the judge in just a couple of days so she can sign the paperwork that your Daddy likes so much. We’re going to change your name to be like ours, too.”

“Change name?”

“You’ll be Miranda Ramos Barba,” Rafael explained.

“Noah’s name?”

“Noah Porter Barba,” Noah stated proudly, earning him a kiss on the head from Rafael.

“Mommy is Olivia Margaret Barba and I’m Rafael Eduardo Barba,” Rafael added.

“When is family party?” Miranda asked, still leaning against Olivia’s chest.

“Family party?” Rafael asked, raising an eyebrow at his wife.

Olivia smiled at him. “I know we originally planned on having a reception here for everyone who wasn’t at our wedding, but I thought we could celebrate our family instead. We can still invite your family from Miami, but now they can meet Miranda and we can tell them about the baby. Once we tell your mom the good news, I thought she could help us plan it.”

Rafael turned to their son. “What do you say, _mijo_ , do you think you would like to see some of m family again?”

“Like Selena? And _Tía_ Maria and _Tío_ Enrique?”

“Most likely.”

“Yes! Maybe we could have a sleepover at _Abuelita_ ’s again. With Miranda this time.”

“More Family?” Miranda asked.

“ _Lots_ more family, sweet girl,” Olivia answered. “Your daddy has a very big family.”

“Auntie Manda too?”

“Yes. Everyone you met the other night, too. Plus maybe a few more people that are important to Mommy and Daddy that you haven’t met yet.”

“I like parties.”

Olivia and Rafael laughed while Noah grinned at her.

“Okay, _mis niñitos,_ it’s time for bed,” Rafael said, noticing how late it had gotten.

“Will you read us a story?” Noah asked.

“Baths first, then story,” Olivia said, standing with Miranda in her arms. “Come on, sweet girl, it’s your turn in the big bath tub tonight.”

“Can we FaceTime with Selena this weekend?” Noah asked as Rafael carried him to the bathroom.

“I’ll ask Luna tomorrow. I was thinking we could make breakfast in bed for Mom and Miranda on Sunday. What do you think? Can you help me with that?”

Noah nodded. “We should make blueberry pancakes. They’re Mom’s favorite. And maybe those chocolate strawberries she likes?”

“I think we could make that happen.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of a filler chapter to move things forward, but be prepared for more familiar faces in the next (few?) chapters :)
> 
> Special thanks to BaGi14 for Lucia's surprise conversation 
> 
> Links to items described in the chapter and translations will be at the end as always.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy :) If there's something/someone you'd like to see, let me know in the comments! 
> 
> Also, I don't know if I added this note to this story or not, but if you want to chat with me (about my stories or just whatever), I'm on both Tumblr and Twitter as blk0912

* * *

A couple of days later, Rafael held Noah in his lap and Olivia held Miranda in hers as they watched Judge Linden sign off on Miranda’s adoption.

“Congratulations, Miranda Ramos Barba,” the older woman said with a smile, eliciting a cheer from Noah and chuckles of amusement from the adults.

“Forever now?” Miranda asked, looking between her parents.

“Forever,” Olivia said, hugging her close.

“Would you like me to take a picture of the four of you?” Judge Linden offered.

“What do you think, Noah?” Rafael asked, looking down at the boy.

“Yes!” he agreed.

Taking out his phone, Rafael handed it to the judge before standing and walking over to a nearby corner. Setting Noah down in front of him, he waited for Olivia to do the same with Miranda. However, the little girl was having none of that.

“No, Mommy!” she said, clinging tightly to Olivia.

“It’s just for one picture, sweet girl,” Olivia explained.

“You can hold my hand if you want,” Noah offered.

Miranda considered her brother’s offer for a moment before she finally let Olivia put her down. She quickly grabbed Noah’s hand, missing the smiles their parents exchanged. Olivia and Rafael slid an arm around each other’s waists, and then they each laid their free hand on the shoulder of Miranda and Noah respectively. Their smiles grew when Noah reached up to grab Rafael’s hand and Miranda did the same to Olivia’s. After a couple of pictures like that, Olivia and Rafael crouched down on either side of their children for a few more pictures.

“Why don’t we take one more with you two holding the children?” Judge Linden suggested.

“Sure,” Olivia agreed, lifting Miranda back up into her arms while Rafael did the same to Noah.

* * *

When they returned home, they found their friends waiting for them, along with a few surprise guests.

“Selena!” Noah shouted excitedly, immediately spotting his friend.

Feeling unsure, Miranda reached for Rafael, who immediately scooped her up into his arms.

“Rafi, she’s even more adorable in person,” Luna said as she greeted her favorite cousin with a hug.

“What are you even doing here?” Rafael asked, returning the hug as best he could.

“Your mom called, said you were having a little get-together to celebrate Miranda’s adoption. One of Santino’s friends was able to get us a deal on tickets and a hotel, so here we are. I didn’t want to miss it, and Selena has been asking when she can see Noah again ever since the FaceTime chats began.”

“Miranda, _niñita_ , can you say hi to Luna?” Rafael asked, gently nudging the little girl who had her head resting on his shoulder. “She’s my cousin.”

“Hi,” Miranda said softly.

“She’s still a bit shy around people she doesn’t know,” Rafael explained, pressing a kiss to his daughter’s head.

“Understandable,” Luna said with a smile for the little girl. “How old is she?”

“Two. She’ll be three in December.”

“December twelfth,” Miranda said proudly, eliciting a laugh from both adults.

“Good job, _niñita_ ,” Rafael told her, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before turning back to his cousin. “Liv and I are planning to have a bigger celebration with the rest of the family soon. Will you be able to make it?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Luna replied with a smile. “Although you better make it soon because I won’t be up to doing much traveling in a few months.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you _pregnant_?”

Luna smiled and nodded. “Twelve weeks. We just told Selena a couple of days ago.”

Rafael turned his head into Miranda’s hair to hide his amused smile. His cousin didn’t know she wasn’t the only pregnant woman in the room.

* * *

As her son and his family sat in her living room after brunch two weeks later, Lucia noticed that Rafael and Olivia were exchanging more glances than normal. Rafael also seemed to be hovering a lot more, and Olivia had chosen orange juice instead of _Cubanitas_ at brunch.

“Mami,” Rafael said, tearing Lucia’s attention away from her two grandchildren. After exchanging another glance with Olivia, he continued. “How would you feel about a third grandchild?”

Lucia’s brow furrowed as she looked at her son and daughter-in-law. “A third child? But Miranda hasn’t even been here a month. Don’t you think you should give her a chance to adjust first?”

Rafael exchanged yet another glance with Olivia, who was now holding his hand and rubbing his knuckles with her thumb. “She has about six months. Liv is pregnant.”

Lucia simply stared at them both for a minute. This was something she had definitely not prepared for. She didn’t even know they were considering having a biological child. Then she felt the tears start to flow.

“Mami?” Rafael asked, unsure what to make of his mother’s reaction.

Lucia held a hand over her heart before reaching out to hug her son and daughter-in-law, still crying. “ _Mis queridos_ ,”

Rafael glanced at Olivia. “Do we dare tell her the names now?”

“Names?”

“Well, we obviously don’t know if we’re having a girl or a boy yet, but we already decided on a name for each.”

“Dios,” Lucia said as she sat back down. Taking a deep breath, she nodded for him to tell her.

“Liv, would you like to do the honors?” Rafael asked his wife.

Olivia smiled, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss before addressing his mother. “If it’s a girl, Catalina Morales Barba. If it’s a boy, Antonio Diaz Barba.”

This time Lucia held both of her hands over her heart as the tears began to flow again. “After my parents?” she asked.

“They obviously meant a lot to Rafael. And my biological family is…basically nonexistent. Noah’s middle name was his birth mother’s last name, so we decided to continue the tradition with Miranda and the new baby.”

“Why not Benson, then?” Lucia wondered.

“Benson was my last name for a good portion of my life, but Morales and Diaz have more positive memories than Benson. I knew I wanted Catalina or Antonio since Rafa and I first started talking about having a child of our own. When we decided on Ramos for Miranda’s middle name, we also knew we wanted to continue the tradition with the baby’s name. Rafa and I talked about it and the names I just told you are the ones we decided on. It would mean a lot to me to be able to name the baby after people who were so important to you and to Rafa.”

“Of course, _mija_ ,” Lucia said, moving to hug her again. “My parents would have loved you, and Noah and Miranda, too.”

“Rafa has been telling the kids stories about them, so be prepared for questions about them and about Rafa when he was little.”

“I’m always happy to tell stories about my Rafi when he was little.”

“Sometimes too happy,” Rafael muttered.

“ _Pobrecito_ ,” Olivia said with a laugh, reaching over to cup his cheek before giving him a quick kiss before turning back to her mother-in-law. “There’s one last thing.”

“I don’t know if my heart can handle anything else,” Lucia joked.

Before any of the adults could say anything else, Miranda climbed onto Rafael’s lap and rested her head against his chest.

“I think someone is getting sleepy,” Lucia observed, rubbing Miranda’s leg as the little girl nodded.

“I’m going to go put her down for a nap,” Rafael said, cradling the little girl in his arms as he stood and walked into his mother’s spare room.

“So, _mija_ , what else is on your mind?” Lucia asked, scooting closer to her daughter-in-law.

“You know Rafa and I were planning on having a reception here for everyone, since we didn’t really do the whole traditional wedding thing. Well, we decided to celebrate our family instead. Our marriage, Miranda’s adoption, the new baby, and Noah’s birthday. He had the party with his friends, but I know he was a little disappointed Selena couldn’t make it and he had so much fun with everyone in Miami. I know Rafa misses his family, too,” Olivia explained. “I was hoping you would help me organize it.”

“Did you have a date in mind?”

“About a month from now? I know it’s short notice, but hopefully a lot of people will still be able to make it.”

“For you, Rafi, Noah, and Miranda? Of course they will.”

“Luna shared the pictures?” Olivia asked with a laugh.

Lucia laughed and nodded. “She’s Maria’s daughter.”

At the sound of a crash from nearby, Lucia and Olivia looked over to see that the Lincoln Log house Noah had been working on was now half-destroyed.

“Noah, what happened?” Olivia asked.

“I was trying to put in the windows and then put the roof on, but I hit it with my elbow and it fell,” he replied with a frown.

“Hmm,” Lucia said as she moved to sit opposite her grandson. “Which one are you trying to build, _nieto_?”

Noah pointed to the picture closest to her. “Will you help me, _Abuelita_?”

Lucia smiled, reaching out to run a hand over Noah’s hair. “I’d be happy to.”

Smiling at the two of them, Olivia curled up on the couch, suddenly feeling like taking a nap herself. She was half-asleep when she felt Rafael take a seat next to her. Moving up, she discarded the throw pillow and laid her head on his leg.

“You okay?” he asked, running a hand through her hair.

“Just a little sleepy. Miranda asleep?”

“Yes. Go to sleep, _mi vida_.”

Olivia smiled as she closed her eyes, feeling Rafael pull the blanket off the back of the couch and cover her with it before continuing to card his fingers through her hair.

* * *

“Liv, you’ve rejected ten dresses already. What’s going on?” Amanda asked.

“I just haven’t found the right one yet.”

“What didn’t you like about the previous ones?” Rita wondered.

Olivia sighed. “I just don’t like how tight they are around my stomach. I’m not ashamed of being pregnant; I just want to feel _comfortable_. I don’t want to feel like I have to constantly pull the fabric around my stomach, and wearing tight clothing isn’t something I should be doing right now.”

“Stay here. I saw something earlier I think might work.”

Olivia exchanged a confused look with Amanda, but then nodded at her newest friend.

“You feeling okay?” Amanda checked as they waited for Rita to return.

“A little hungry, but I want to see what Rita has in mind. If I don’t like it, we’ll grab lunch and then try another store.”

“Are Rafael and Noah going to wear their matching suits again?”

“Yes. Rafa promised Noah he didn’t have to wear the vest this time, though. He said they would get matching shirts in whatever color I decide on for a dress.”

“Are you taking Miranda shopping for a dress?”

“Lucia is bringing her after lunch. I saw a few earlier that I want her to try on, so hopefully we’ll be home in time for her nap.”

“She gonna do okay with all the people that are supposed to be at this thing?”

“I think so. Lucia gave her siblings strict instructions to tell their children not to crowd her. Having people she knows there should help, too.”

* * *

“Okay, try this one,” Rita said as she returned, holding out a dress to Olivia.

“I like the color,” Olivia replied, taking the dress and turning it around.

“Go try it on,” Amanda encouraged.

Olivia nodded, walking back toward the dressing room. When she appeared again a few minutes later, she had a wide smile on her face.

“I think this is the dress,” she said. “Rita, I owe you.”

Rita waved her hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it. Although maybe you could put in a good word for me with your husband the next time he tries to tell me I’m a pain in his side.”

Olivia laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Turn around,” Amanda commanded, making a twirling motion in the air with her finger.

Olivia did as her friend requested. “Well?” she asked when she turned back around.

Both women agreed the purple asymmetrical a-line dress with a beaded scoop neck looked great on their friend and nodded at her.

“You should get it,” Amanda said.

“My treat,” Rita added.

“Rita, no, you don’t need to do that,” Olivia insisted.

“Consider it a belated wedding present.”

Olivia sighed. Much like her husband, trying to dissuade Rita of something was nearly impossible. “Remind me again why I married a lawyer and am friends with another one.”

Rita and Amanda laughed.

“I think it was the snarky comments Rafael makes,” Rita theorized, causing more laughter.

“Don’t tell Rafa that.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

* * *

After lunch, the three women met Lucia and Miranda by the entrance to the mall.

“Hi, my sweet girl,” Olivia cooed as she took the little girl from Lucia.

“Mommy,” Miranda greeted, hugging Olivia tightly.

Olivia pushed some hair out of her face. “Are you ready to find a pretty dress for the party?”

“Dress for me?”

“Yes. Mommy found her dress this morning, now it’s your turn.”

“ _Adios, Abeulita_ ,” Miranda said, waving at her grandmother.

Lucia ran a hand over the little girl’s hair and pressed a kiss to her head. “ _Adios, nieta. Te veré pronto_.”

“Thank you again, Lucia,” Olivia said. “I don’t think she would have had a very good morning shopping with us.”

“You know I love spending time with _mis nietos_. I offered to take Noah this afternoon, but Rafi said that wasn’t necessary.”

“They’re having a boys’ day at home. Rafa’s idea. Hopefully Noah let him get some work done.”

“It sounded like they were having a good time,” Lucia said with a smile.

“Where did Amanda go?” Olivia asked Rita, noticing their friend had left the group while she was talking to Lucia.

“Babysitter called,” Rita answered. “Based on her body language, it doesn’t sound like a good phone call.”

“I’m sorry, ya’ll,” Amanda apologized as she returned to the group. “My baby-sitter all of the sudden remembered she had plans in an hour, so I need to leave. It’s just Sonny and Fin today, I can’t ask him to leave early.”

“I could watch her so you can stay here,” Lucia volunteered.

“Are you sure?”

“My afternoon is free.”

“Okay, then. Let me give you my number and the baby-sitter’s. You can let her know when you get to the building and she’ll let you in. If you could let me know once Jessie is settled, I’d appreciate it.”

“Of course.”

* * *

“This one, Mommy,” Miranda said, grabbing onto a dress from a nearby rack.

Olivia took the dress off the rack and held it up. It was similar to hers in style and color, but had a satin neckline with a flower on the side. “I think we should try this one on.”

“Yes!”

“Rita, Amanda, what do you think?” Olivia asked.

“It’s adorable,” Amanda said with a smile.

“I want to see it on her,” Rita added.

“Come on, sweet girl; let’s go put the pretty dress on you.”

* * *

When she and Miranda returned home from dress shopping, Olivia found her boys fast asleep on the couch with the ending credits of _Toy Story 2_ playing on the TV.

“I guess Daddy and Noah had a rough day,” Olivia joked, making Miranda giggle.

“Go to Daddy,” she said.

Smiling, Olivia deposited Miranda on Rafael’s chest. The little girl laid her head on his chest and Olivia’s smile grew when she saw Rafael wrap an arm around her. With Miranda content, Olivia chose a movie for her to watch and then walked into the kitchen to figure out what to make for dinner.

* * *

Blinking his eyes, Rafael noticed that he was now holding both of his children. Noah was still curled into his side, fast asleep, and Miranda was on his chest, contentedly watching a movie.

“ _Mijo_ , wake up,” he said, gently nudging his son awake.

Noah whined a little, but opened his eyes. Pushing himself up, he carefully got off of the couch and walked into the kitchen.

“Hi, Mom!” he greeted.

“Hi, my sweet boy,” Olivia replied, crouching to accept his hug. “Did you have fun with Dad today?”

“Yes. _Abuelita_ said I can pick a day to have a sleepover at her house and she’ll make _pastelitos_ for breakfast. Or pancakes.”

“Both sound delicious. We’ll have to look at the calendar and find a day for your sleepover with _Abuelita_.”

“That’s what Dad said, too.”

“How about you help me make dinner while Dad and Miranda watch her movie?”

“Yeah! What are we making?”

“Cheeseburger tacos.”

Noah made a confused face. “ _Cheeseburger_ tacos?” he repeated.

Olivia laughed as she stood. “Yes, you heard me correctly. I found the recipe online and thought it would be fun to try. What do you say?”

Noah shrugged. “Okay. Can we have ice cream for dessert?”

“We’ll see,” Olivia replied with a laugh, pressing a kiss to his head before grabbing a nearby chair for him to stand on. “Your dad says you’re quite the sous chef now, but I think I need to see for myself.”

Noah giggled and nodded as he climbed onto the chair, ready to show his mother his improved sous chef skills.

* * *

“Uh, Livia, _mi vida_ , are you sure you these are tacos?” Rafael asked as Olivia placed a plate in front of him.

Olivia and Noah laughed at the confused expressions on Rafael’s and Miranda’s faces.

“They’re _cheeseburger_ tacos, Dad,” Noah explained.

“Those are two things I never thought would go together.”

“Don’t tell me you’re actually hesitant to try something new, Rafa,” Olivia teased as she took a seat next to him.

Rafael rolled his eyes at her before picking up the taco and taking a bite.

“What do you think, Dad?” Noah asked eagerly.

“They’re good,” he replied with a smile. “You and Mom did a good job, _mijo_.”

Noticing that Miranda hadn’t touched her taco yet, Olivia turned her attention to her daughter.

“Just try it, sweet girl,” she encouraged. “If you don’t like it, that’s okay. Just try one bite, okay?”

Miranda eyed the food curiously for a moment, then did as her mother instructed.

“What do you think, _niñita_?” Rafael asked once Miranda had swallowed the first bite.

Instead of answering, the little girl took another bite of her food, making the other three occupants of the table smile.

“I think that officially makes our cheeseburger tacos a success,” Olivia said to Noah.

“You’re wrong if you think you’re stealing my sous chef, though,” Rafael teased, eliciting a giggle from Noah.

“More, Mommy?” Miranda asked softly a few moments later.

“I’ll get it,” Rafael told Olivia as he stood. “You eat.”

“You just want an excuse to get seconds for yourself,” Olivia retorted, eliciting laughter from both children and another eye-roll from Rafael.

* * *

Early the next morning, Olivia woke with a start, sitting up and trying to control her breathing despite feeling like she wanted to bawl her eyes out.

“No,” she whispered, pressing a hand to her stomach.

“Livia?” Rafael asked groggily, reaching out to her.

Olivia curled into her husband’s embrace, burying her face in his chest as she gave into the tears. Startled, Rafael curled an arm tightly around her and rubbed her back in an effort to get her to calm down. “ _Mi vida_ , what happened?”

Olivia took a couple of deep breaths before she attempted to speak. “I had a dream…that you…you left…Miranda and the baby…didn’t exist. We were talking…outside the courthouse…you were telling me…why you…had to leave…then you…walked away…from me.”

Rafael tilted her face up for a kiss. “ _Never, mi alma_ ,” he assured her. “I love you and I’ll never leave you. Noah _and_ Miranda are fast asleep down the hall, and the baby will be here in just a few months. Remember, we just got the ultrasound pictures on Tuesday? The baby is growing exactly as he or she should be. We’re having a party to celebrate our family in just a couple of weeks. My loud, obnoxious family will be here most likely peppering you with questions about all three of our children.”

Olivia nodded, but didn’t make a move to leave her husband’s embrace.

“You and our children are the loves of my life, Livia,” Rafael continued. “I never thought you would ever see me as anything other than a friend, and now we’re married with two kids and a third on the way.”

“I’ve loved you for years, Rafa,” Olivia said tearfully.

“I know that _now_. Remember what I said when you told me you were pregnant? I wouldn’t want this life with anyone but you, _mi alma gemela_.”

“You said something about me making you see colors. I wanted to smack you.”

Rafael chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“You did that, too,” Olivia mumbled, eliciting another chuckle from Rafael.

“ _Mi amor_ , you _do_ bring color into my life, and our children make those colors more vibrant, but I wouldn’t trade that for _anything_. If I could change anything about our life, it would only be to meet you sooner. Or at least tell you how I felt sooner. But I don’t regret the life that we’ve built, not one bit.”

“I love you.”

Rafael kissed her again. “I love you, too.”

Before either could say anything else, they both turned at the sound of their door opening.

“Mom?” they heard Noah ask.

Looking over, they saw him standing in the doorway holding hands with Miranda, each with a stuffed animal clutched in their free arms. They had both fallen asleep in Noah’s bed during their bedtime story and neither Olivia nor Rafael had wanted to wake them so they had let them sleep.

“What’s wrong, _queridos_?” Rafael asked, pressing a kiss to Olivia’s cheek before walking over to them and gathering them both in his arms.

“Bad dream, Daddy,” Miranda said tearfully.

“Oh, _niñita_ , it’s okay. Mommy, Daddy, and Noah are right here,” Rafael assured her, pressing a kiss to her head.

Miranda squeezed the hand of Noah’s that she was still holding. “Noah the best.”

“He’s a very good big brother, huh?”

Miranda nodded in agreement, making Noah smile.

“Since you and Mom don’t work tomorrow, can we have family cuddle time?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” Olivia answered from her spot in the bed. “Come on, my sweet babies.”

Lifting both children and making them giggle, Rafael walked over to his side of the bed and playfully dumped them onto the bed. Giggling some more, they crawled under the comforter as Rafael got back into bed. Miranda curled into Olivia’s embrace as Noah did the same to Rafael.

“What was your bad dream about, sweet girl?” Olivia asked, running a hand over first her hair, then reaching over and doing the same to Noah’s.

“I had to go back,” she said softly, looking down.

“I told her she would never have to go back because she belongs with us,” Noah added.

“Exactly right, _mijo_ ,” Rafael said proudly. “She’s officially a Barba now, too.”

“Party!” Miranda remembered with a smile.

“In a couple of weeks.”

Miranda nodded, closing her eyes and mumbling, “Want to wear pretty dress” before falling back asleep.

“I guess that means we have to find our shirts, _mijo_ ,” Rafael said to Noah before looking over at Olivia. “So, _mi vida_ , what color are we wearing?”

“Purple.”

“ _Purple?!_ ” Noah repeated with a look of uncertainty.

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to his son’s head. “Trust me, _mijo_ , it’ll be _fine_.”

Noah still looked a little unsure, but he trusted his dad. If he said it was going to be fine, it would be. Closing his eyes, he curled a little closer and fell back asleep. After sharing another smile, both Olivia and Rafael followed their children’s lead and closed their eyes, falling back asleep shortly thereafter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Olivia's dress: https://www.jjshouse.com/A-Line-Scoop-Neck-Asymmetrical-Chiffon-Cocktail-Dress-With-Beading-016140362-g140362 [the color I had in mind is called "grape". I was thinking of Rafael's purple shirt from October Surprise when I picked it]  
> Miranda's dress: https://www.girlsdressline.com/image/data/products/eggplant-satin-bib-necklin-chiffon-aline-flower-girl-dress-KD-255E2.jpg  
> Cheeseburger taco recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a56688/cheeseburger-tacos-recipe/
> 
> (new) Translations:  
> mis queridos: my darlings  
> pobrecito: poor thing  
> adios: goodbye  
> mis nietos: my grandchildren [can also be translated as my grandsons, but in Spanish, when referring to a boy and a girl, the masculine version of the noun is used. So when Lucia refers to both Noah and Miranda, it's mis nietos]  
> nieta: granddaughter  
> Te veré pronto: I'll see you soon


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we've already established that I'm playing around with Rafael and Olivia's ages. Now I'm playing with Sonny and Amanda's as well. I guess everyone will just be whatever ages I want them to because that's what we do in fanfiction sometimes, right? Some Rollisi-related stuff toward the end, but still mostly Mirbarsonoah and family. 
> 
> Thank you to joyfulmariskahgt for letting me use the name she came up with for Rafael's grandfather.
> 
> Special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to review this story. It means a lot.

* * *

A few days before the party, Olivia sat in her office and tried to hold back the tears she felt pricking her eyes as she recalled the phone call that had just ended. The photographer had called; she had a family emergency and wouldn’t be able to make it to the party. The rational part of her brain knew that wasn’t something that could be helped, but the ever-growing hormonal part just wanted to cry frustrated tears.

“Hey, Lu, have you-” Sonny started to ask as he and Amanda walked into her office. When they noticed her brushing at the tears that were now beginning to fall, they were both immediately concerned.

“Liv, you okay? Is it the baby? Do you need me to call Rafael?” Amanda asked her questions in rapid succession.

Olivia took a deep breath. “I’m fine, the baby is fine, and no, you don’t need to call Rafa.”

“What’s wrong, then?” Sonny asked.

“It’s stupid.”

“Pregnancy hormones can make the littlest things seem like the biggest,” Amanda said sympathetically. “Trust me.”

“I know, and I remember you having a few meltdowns when you were pregnant with Jesse.”

“So just tell us what’s going on,” Sonny encouraged.

“My photographer cancelled and it’s too late to book another one. The party is in three days, and Rafa’s family is starting to arrive tonight.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Sonny, you’re supposed to be a _guest_ at the party.”

“So I’ll be both. It’ll be fun. I was planning on bringing my camera anyway.”

“Yeah, and ya’ll could get some of those disposable cameras and put them on each table, so people can take their own pictures.”

“Two of my sisters have the new Polaroid cameras that we could buy film for; we could set up a couple of different photo booths for people to take pictures in. I’ll even help get all of Rafael’s family together for a group photo.”

“Sonny and I will take care of the photography. You don’t need to worry about it,” Amanda added. “Come on, it’s a nice day, let’s go for a walk. We can go to the café down the street and get those new lemonade drinks.”

Olivia smiled at her friends, hugging them both. “You’re the best. Thank you.”

* * *

Walking back into the precinct, Olivia smiled when she saw Rafael talking with Fin, Sonny, and Erin.

“I hear we have a new photographer for the party,” Rafael commented as Olivia walked over to his side and slid an arm around his waist.

“We do,” Olivia confirmed with a smile. “Amanda is going to be his assistant. Is it time to go already?”

Rafael shook his head, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Not yet. Fin called, wanted to go over a case. I brought you lunch, it’s on your desk.”

“Did you eat lunch?”

“Mine is in the bag, too. I’ll eat in a little bit.”

“Go have lunch with your wife, counselor,” Fin said with a laugh. “The case can wait a little while.”

“I’m not going to say not to that,” Rafael said, leading Olivia into her office and shutting the door behind them.

* * *

As they walked into the hotel lobby, Olivia held a hand of each of her children while Rafael tried to get a hold of Maria or Luna.

“ _Tía_ Maria!” he said excitedly, spotting the older woman.

“Noah!” Maria returned, opening her arms to him for a hug.

Releasing his mother’s hand, Noah practically ran to the older woman and hugged her tightly.

“I heard someone had a birthday recently,” she said, pulling back to look at him.

“I did! I’m five now!”

“You’re getting so big! Are you ready to swim? Luna and Santino are already in the pool.”

“Yes! I’m a shark now!”

“A shark?” Maria repeated, looking up at her nephew in confusion.

Rafael chuckled as he ruffled his son’s hair. “It’s what they call the level he just got to in swimming lessons.”

“Ah. _Un tiburón muy guapo_. A very handsome shark.”

Noah grinned at her. “Miranda uses arm floaties, but she likes the water.”

“That’s a very good sign,” Maria said, pressing a kiss to Noah’s cheek before she stood and hugged her nephew, then looked behind him to see Olivia and the little girl she guessed to be Miranda. “Oh, Rafi.”

“Don’t start,” Rafael told her with a laugh as he saw he put her hands over her heart and make an awe-struck face.

“ _Silencio, sobrino_ ,” Maria replied, eliciting a laugh from Rafael.

“Come on, _mijo_ , let’s go find the rest of _nuestro familia_ ,” he said, holding out his hand for his son.

“ _Mi hermosa sobrina_ , how are you feeling?” Maria asked as she hugged Olivia.

“Really good,” Olivia replied with a smile. “Rafa tends to hover, but I know he does it out of love so I try not to be annoyed by it. I get emotional over just about everything, but baby and I are healthy. Would you like to meet your newest grand-niece?”

When Maria nodded, Olivia encouraged Miranda to step in front of her to face the older woman.

“Maria, this is my and Rafael’s daughter, Miranda. Miranda, sweet girl, this is your _Tía Maria_. She’s your daddy’s aunt, your _abuelita_ ’s sister.”

“Hi,” Miranda said tentatively.

“ _Hola, preciosa_ ,” Maria replied, bending down to the little girl’s level. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“ _Regalos_?” Miranda asked, causing both Olivia and Maria to laugh.

“Oh, she is most definitely Rafi’s daughter. Always asking about presents. Where did you find her?”

“Picnic!” Miranda answered with a bright smile as she looked up at her mother.

Olivia ran a hand over the little girl’s hair as she returned her smile. “That’s right.”

“I chose her.”

“You did, my sweet girl.”

“Swim now?”

“Sure. I’m sure your daddy and Noah are already in the pool. You can swim while I chat with _Tía_ Maria.”

Miranda seemed happy with that answer, letting her mother and great-aunt lead her to the pool.

* * *

Once Olivia had put the arm floats on Miranda, she led the girl to the pool steps, where Rafael was waiting for her.

“You going to swim, Livia?” he asked.

“In a little bit. I need to get some more information about you from Maria first.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “As if you don’t already know everything about me.”

Olivia smiled. “Charmer,” she said with a laugh as she walked back to where Maria and Luna were sitting.

“So, did you find out what you’re having?” Luna asked.

“We did, but we’re not telling anyone yet,” Olivia confirmed. “We’ll announce it at the party. Did you?”

Luna smiled and nodded. “A boy. Luis Emilio Martinez.”

“I like it,” Olivia said with a smile. “After your dad, right?”

Luna nodded. “He cried when we told him.”

“Lucia did the same when we told her I was pregnant and again when we told her the names we’d chosen.”

“Names?” Maria asked.

“Well, we obviously didn’t know what we were having yet, but I had been thinking about names since we first started talking about trying for our own child.”

“We had a girl name chosen, too,” Luna said with a nod.

“Can I ask what it was?”

“Of course. If we ever have another girl, her name will be Adriana Daniela Martinez.”

“Do you think you’ll have more?”

Luna smiled and shrugged. “I’m not sure. We weren’t exactly planning on having another one this soon, but fate works in mysterious ways.”

Olivia shared the younger woman’s smile. “I know the feeling.”

“So, what did you and Rafi decide on for Miranda’s name?”

“Miranda Ramos Barba.”

“Ramos?” Maria asked.

“Mm. When I adopted Noah, I wanted to honor his birth mother, so I chose her last name as his middle name. Rafa and I decided to continue the tradition with Miranda.”

“Does that mean the new baby’s middle name will be…what is your maiden name…Benson?”

Olivia shook her head. “My maiden name is Benson, but no, that’s not going to be the baby’s middle name…and that’s all I’m going to tell you until we announce the name at the party. Feel free to think of guesses, though, because that’s one of the mini games we have planned.”

“Mini games?” Luna asked.

“Yes. You remember how Rafa’s and my bosses bet on us? Well, we decided to turn the tables on them in a way. We’re going to let everyone bet on the sex of the baby and the name. The winner gets however much money is in the pool at the end of the night.”

“That’s very clever,” Maria said with a smile.

“We really want everyone to just have _fun_.”

“The kids and the two supposedly grown men seem to have no problem with that,” Luna observed, nodding toward the pool.

Rafael and Santino were standing on opposite sides about half-way down the length of the pool while they took turns throwing the three kids into the air. The shrieks of laughter echoed off the walls of the pool area as the three women watched with smiles on their faces.

“You two should go join your families,” Maria encouraged.

“Come on, Liv, the boys and the kids aren’t the only ones who can enjoy the pool,” Luna said as she stood.

Olivia nodded, following the younger woman to the pool while Maria looked on fondly and grabbed her phone to take some pictures.

* * *

“So, what do you think about Rafael and Olivia’s request for us to include dinner at _Diamantes_ as the prize for correctly guessing her due date?” Dodds asked McCoy as they sat down for lunch the next day.

“I keep hearing them talk about this Cuban place called _Por La Noche_. We could buy dinner for two at each and split the cost,” McCoy answered. “ _Diamantes_ for the prize and _Por La Noche_ for them as a present.”

“What about _our_ bet? It _is_ getting to the end of the season, after all.”

“What are we betting on?”

“How long until they announce a second pregnancy?” Dodds joked.

McCoy laughed and then took a sip of his drink. “Let’s let her get through the first one, shall we?”

“Although, on second thought, maybe we should start figuring out who is going to cover for Rafael once Olivia has the baby. You know he’s going to want to take some paternity leave.”

“I’ve already got that taken care of. Alex Cabot has been working as a special prosecutor for me and she has experience with SVU. She’s a friend of Olivia, so she knows about the pregnancy. She said she’d be happy to fill in for Rafael.”

“I guess there’s always whether she’ll deliver _before_ or _after_ her due date.”

McCoy smiled at his friend. “You’re on. I say she delivers _after_ her due date.”

* * *

The following afternoon, Rafael took Noah to pick up their dress shirts for the party.

“What do you think, _mijo_ , stripes or solid color?” Rafael asked, holding up the two options.

Noah studied both shirts before pointing to one of them. “Stripes,” he decided.

“Good choice.”

“Does that mean I get ice cream?”

Rafael laughed, reaching out to ruffle his son’s hair. “Sure, _mijo_. We can get ice cream on the way home.”

“Rafael, I didn’t expect to see you again so soon,” Oliver said as he walked up to them.

“We just needed a couple of shirts today,” Rafael explained. “We’re going to a party in a couple of days and my beautiful wife requested we wear purple this time.”

Olivier chuckled at the face Noah made when the color was brought up.

“Not your favorite color, huh?” he asked the little boy.

“No,” Noah replied, followed by a sigh. “But it’s what Mom wants, so that’s what we’re going with.”

Oliver smiled at him. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate it. I like the stripes, too, you know.”

Noah perked up at this. “Really?”

Oliver nodded. “Yes. I think your mom will like it, too.”

“Do you think Mom will like the stripes?” Noah asked his father.

“I’m sure she will, _mijo_ ,” Rafael assured him. “Now, let’s go pay for these so we can go get that ice cream.”

Noah smiled and nodded, grabbing his father’s outstretched hand and following him to the register.

* * *

_Rafael looked around, taking in the eerily familiar space he had found himself in. He began to recognize it as his **abuelitos’**_ _apartment. The one he’d spent so much time in as a child. He was in the living room and he could hear their familiar voices floating in from the kitchen._

_“ **Ahí está mi guapo nieto** ,” Catalina said as she walked over to him and reached up to cup his cheeks in her hands. _

_“ **Abuelita**?” Rafael asked. She looked younger than the last time he’d seen her. _

_“My Rafi, I miss you.”_

_“I miss you, too. I wish you were here.”_

_“Your **abuelito** and I are always right here,” Catalina replied, placing a hand over his heart. _

_“You know what I mean.”_

_Catalina smiled at him, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. “I know, **nieto**. We wish we could be there with you, too. But we came to see you to tell you that we love you and we’re so proud of you. I told your **abuelito**_ _that I had a feeling about your Olivia. I knew she was **tu alma gemela**. I’m so happy to see that you two found each other and have created such a **hermoso familia** together. And you have another little one on the way!”_

_“ **Ella es el amor de mi vida, abuelita**. Sometimes I find it hard to believe she chose me, but not only did she choose me, but she agreed to marry me, gave me two beautiful children and our third is growing inside of her.”_

_“You two are meant to be. **Escrito en las estrellas**.”_

_“Like you and **abuelito**.”_

_Catalina smiled and nodded. “Yes. Would you like to see him?”_

_Rafael quickly nodded. “Yes. Can I?”_

_“Of course. I’ll send him out. I’m proud of you, my Rafi. You’re a good man, a good husband and father.”_

_“What if I never become a judge like you dreamed?”_

_“I’m still going to be proud of you, Rafael. You’re doing so much good. As long as you are happy, that’s all that matters to me, and to your **abuelito**. Take care of your mami and your family. **Te amo, nieto**.”_

_Rafael leaned down to press a kiss to Catalina’s cheek. “ **También te amo, abuelita**.”_

_Catalina hugged her grandson before disappearing back into the kitchen. A few moments later, Alberto appeared and immediately enveloped his grandson in a tight hug._

_“Rafi,” he said when he pulled back. “Your **abuelita** was right; you’re as handsome as ever. And you’re a family man now!”_

_Rafael smiled as he thought of his wife and children. “ **Ellos son los amores de mi vida, abuelito**.”_

_“ **Lo sé, nieto**. Although I seem to recall a certain wife of yours driving you a little crazy?”_

_Rafael chuckled. “She still does, but I love her for it. I wouldn’t change a thing about her.”_

_“You seem worried about something,” Alberto observed._

_Rafael sighed. His grandfather had always been the best at reading him. Until Olivia that is._

_“I’m worried about Livia and the baby. About how Noah and Miranda are going to react once the baby is actually here. About when Livia goes back to work after the baby is born and she has to be back in the field. I can’t do this without her. I love her so much, **abuelito**. Sometimes it scares me how much.”_

_Alberto patted his grandson’s shoulder. “I understand. But you have nothing to worry about, Rafi. Your family is safe, I promise. Your **abuelita** and I are watching over all of you.”_

_Rafael nodded, taking a minute to compose himself. “I took Olivia and Noah to meet the family in Miami. Now they’re all coming up here to meet Miranda, to celebrate her adoption, Noah’s birthday, and the new baby.”_

_“They missed you and they love your Olivia and Noah. They’ll love Miranda and the new baby just as much.”_

_“We knew before the end of the first day that we wanted to keep Miranda.”_

_“All of your children are precious, Rafi. I know you always had your reservations about being a father, due to what you went through with your own, but you have such a good heart that you could never be like him.”_

_“I always wanted to be like you.”_

_Alberto smiled. “You are, **nieto**. You inherited the Morales sarcasm, but you have the Diaz wit and the heart of the good Barbas. I’ve met them, you know. Your other grandparents.”_

_“You have? How? You never knew them.”_

_“I can’t tell you how, only that I met them and they are good people. Your father gave into his demons and wasn’t half the man that you are, but your grandparents were good people. So you shouldn’t be ashamed of the Barba name. Your wife took your name and you two gave it to your children. You have made your own reputation, **nieto**. You always fight so hard for the victims that need your help. And you have given your heart completely to the woman that you love. I see how you cherish her and the children you share.”_

_“She says I hover too much sometimes.”_

_Alberto chuckled. “You do, but she knows you do it out of love. She really doesn’t mind.”_

_“I know. She told me.”_

_“Have fun at your party, Rafi. Remember that we love you, we’re watching over you, and we’re always with you **en tu corazón**.”_

_Rafael nodded, hugging his grandfather one more time before watching the older man disappear back into the kitchen._

* * *

“Rafa, are you okay?” Olivia asked when she felt him sit up suddenly in their bed.

“I think so,” Rafael answered.

Olivia studied her husband’s face. “Then why do you look so confused?”

Rafael lay back down, wrapping his arms around Olivia and pulling her close.

“I had a dream that I got to talk to my _abuelitos_ ,” he revealed as he carded his fingers through her hair.

“Have you had dreams like that before?”

“Not since shortly after they each died. But this time it was both of them. Well, one at a time, but still. I spoke to both of them. I could feel them touching me and hear their voices as if they were still alive. They were both a bit younger than the last time I saw them, but it was definitely them.”

“What did they say?”

As Rafael explained his dream to her, Olivia felt the baby begin to kick. Grabbing Rafael’s hand, she pressed it to her stomach, watching with a smile as his eyes widened a little. “I think it likes the sound of your voice, Rafa.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t remove his hand from her stomach. “Do we really need to keep calling our future child ‘it’? We know what we’re having.”

Olivia smiled and shrugged. “Force of habit, I guess.”

“Well, I think all _three_ of us could do with some more sleep,” Rafael replied as Olivia snuggled closer to him. “I love you both.”

“We love you, too.”

* * *

“What did ya need to see me for, Liv?” Fin asked as he walked into Olivia’s office the next day.

“I wanted to go over the Schwartz case before I leave. You know I’m only working a half-day today and I’m off the rest of the week,” Olivia answered, moving to sit on the couch.

Fin nodded as he joined her. “So Rafael’s family is all here, then?”

“Most of them. The rest are arriving tonight. I still can’t believe they all flew all the way to New York on such short notice.”

Fin watched his boss shuffle some papers, bending to pick up one of them that had dropped to the ground. “This your ultrasound?” he asked, handing the photo back to his friend.

“Yes,” Olivia replied with a smile. “Baby is healthy.”

Fin noticed the writing at the bottom of the photo and smiled to himself. Olivia had told him she would give him a hint as to the sex of the baby so he could win a night out at _Diamantes_ with Rita.

“Even with pregnancy brain, I don’t forget my promises, Fin,” Olivia told him with a smile.

Fin chuckled and nodded. “Glad you and baby are doing well. How are Miranda and Noah?”

“They’re really good. We took Miranda out of preschool and Noah out of kindergarten for the rest of the week so they could spend time with the family. We gave Lucy the rest of the week off, too. But she’ll be at the party tomorrow night. Lucia has them today; I think they were planning on going to the zoo with Selena and Maria. I think Enrique and his grandson, Julio, were going to tag along as well.”

“How do you keep ‘em all straight?”

Olivia laughed. “I have a chart.”

Fin chuckled and then simply smiled at his long-time friend. “It’s good to see ya so happy, Liv. Really.”

“I appreciate everything you do for me, Fin. I think you and Rafa know me best.”

“Let’s not get too sappy, huh? We still have work to do.”

Olivia smiled, but nodded and let Fin begin to fill her in on the case. She was only overseeing this one, she wasn’t directly involved, but she wanted to be kept informed of what was going on in her department.

* * *

When they arrived home, Rafael and Olivia were surprised to find Lucy there with Miranda.

“Where are Noah and my mom?” Rafael wondered.

“They’re at the hotel. I tagged along to the zoo and when they started talking about going back to the hotel to swim some more, Noah wanted to go but Miranda didn’t. I didn’t have anything going on, so I volunteered to come back here with Miranda. She took a short nap, and she’s been playing shapes and puzzles since she woke up,” Lucy explained.

“Speaking of naps, I could use one for dinner tonight,” Olivia said with a laugh.

“I can stay if you two want to relax for a bit.”

“Play with Lucy, Mommy!” Miranda insisted.

Olivia bent to press a kiss to her daughter’s head. “Okay, you and Lucy can play a while longer, sweet girl.”

“Be good for Lucy, _mija_ ,” Rafael told her, copying Olivia’s actions and pressing a kiss to her head.

Miranda nodded and then turned back to Lucy, wanting the older girl’s help with a puzzle.

* * *

“Do you need a nap, too?” Olivia teased as she and Rafael cuddled together in their bed.

Rafael chuckled. “I’m never going to pass up the opportunity to hold you, _mi vida_.”

Olivia smiled as she cuddled closer. “Good. Because I always sleep better when you’re with me, _mi amor_. Oh, and you need to have a talk with your child about kicking me while we’re working.”

Rafael chuckled again, pressing a kiss into her hair. “Just the other night you were saying how sweet it is that _our_ child likes the sound of my voice so much.”

“It is, just not when I’m trying to concentrate.”

“We’ll chat after our nap,” Rafael promised, laying a hand on top of Olivia’s on her stomach.

* * *

“Olivia, _estás brillando positivmente_ ,” Enrique said as he greeted her and Rafael in the lobby of the hotel later that night. “Rafi, _confío en que cuides bien de tu bella esposa_.”

“ _El siempre lo hace_ ,” Olivia assured the older man with a smile.

Enrique returned her smile before turning his attention to the little girl holding tightly to her hand. “Who do we have here?”

“ _Tío_ Enrique, this is the newest addition to the Barba family, Olivia’s and my daughter, Miranda,” Rafael said proudly. “Miranda, _mija_ , this is your _abuelita’s_ and _Tía_ Maria’s brother, _Tío_ Enrique.”

“ _Hola_ ,” Miranda greeted shyly.

Enrique bent to the little girl’s level and held out his hand. “ _Hola_.”

“ _Abuelita_ ’s brother?”

“Yes.”

“I have a brother.”

Enrique chuckled. “I know. I’ve met him.”

“He plays shapes and puzzles with me.”

“Your _abuelita_ used to do the same thing with me.”

“Really?”

Enrique nodded. “I brought some pictures of me, your _abuelita_ , _Tía_ Maria from when we were little. I even have some of Luna and your dad when they were younger.”

“I want to see.”

“After dinner, _preciosa_ ,” Enrique promised as he stood.

“Come on, sweet girl, let’s go find Noah and _Abuelita_ ,” Olivia said, taking the girl’s hand and leading her down the hall toward the entrance to the restaurant where they were going to meet the rest of the family.

“That woman loves you very much, Rafi, I hope you know that,” Enrique said, clasping his nephew’s shoulder the same way Alberto had done in the younger man’s dream.

“I’m the luckiest man in the world,” Rafael told him sincerely. “ _Ella es mi alma gemela_.”

“Cherish her. Every day.”

“I try.”

“Your mami used to be afraid that you’d never find someone to spend your life with and never give her any grandchildren.”

“I know.”

“She stopped worrying a few years ago. But you two only recently got married.”

Rafael smiled. “I’ve been in love with Olivia for years, _tío_. Mami said _Abuelita_ had one of her _feelings_ about us. She’s the only one I want this life with.”

“Her pregnancy is going well?” Enrique asked as they began to walk.

“Yes. She and the baby are healthy. We had an appointment last week and were able to see baby’s growth.”

“Good. Marcel and Belinda send their love. He couldn’t get the time off of work; they’re a little short-staffed right now. I have presents for all three of your children from them, though.”

* * *

The next night, as they were setting up the cameras and photo booths, Sonny frowned when he heard Amanda quickly excuse herself and rush off toward the bathroom again. He had woken up the other morning and found her wiping off her mouth and then rinsing it with mouthwash. He had a suspicion as to why she was doing it, but now wasn’t the time or place to bring it up.

“Papa, up!” he heard a small voice say, bringing him out of his thoughts. Looking down, he saw Jesse holding her arms up to him. She’d never called him Papa before.

Obliging the little girl, he scooped her up into his arms. “Where’s _Nonna_ Gia, _piccola_?”

“With Mama.”

“Can you be a good helper for me, then?”

Jesse nodded. “I promise.”

Sonny pressed a kiss to her head and hugged her close before shifting her to his hip and walking around to put the rest of the disposable cameras on the tables.

* * *

“Amanda, _cara_ , are you okay?” Gianna asked as she walked into the bathroom she had seen the younger woman enter.

“I’m fine, I think I just have some kind of stomach bug,” Amanda said as she walked out of the stall.

“Honey, how long have you been feeling like this?”

Amanda washed her hands, then took a small bottle of mouthwash out of her purse and used a small amount to rinse out her mouth. “A couple of weeks, I guess. We’re all doing so much to help Liv, I’ve just been feeling a little run down. I’ll be fine.”

“ _Tesorino_ , I don’t think this is a stomach bug.”

Amanda shut her eyes and leaned her head against the wall of the bathroom. “I don’t think it is, either,” she confessed. When she opened her eyes, they were shining with tears. “Gia, what am I going to do? Sonny and I haven’t even talked about having more kids. I know he loves Jesse, but I don’t know if he _wants_ more kids. And Dodds is probably going to freak out. Liv almost got in trouble last time because we waited so long to tell him, and I don’t want to put her in that position again. I don’t want to cause her any more stress.”

Gianna walked over to her son’s partner and rubbed her hands up and down the younger woman’s arms. “Take deep breaths. Stress isn’t good for you, either. Have you taken a test?”

Amanda shook her head. “I’ve been too afraid. I have one in my purse, though. I was going to talk to Liv and see if she’d stay with me while I wait for the results. I know it’s her night and all, but she’s my friend…”

“Call her and ask her to meet you here. I’ll wait with you until she gets here.”

Amanda reached for the older woman’s hand. “Will you stay for the results, too? Please?”

Gianna nodded. “Of course.”

* * *

“Everything okay?” Rafael asked when Olivia returned to his side. They had arrived early to check on things and she had gone off with Amanda and Gianna shortly thereafter.

“It will be,” Olivia replied with a smile, leaning over to kiss him softly.

“You and baby are okay?”

Olivia nodded. “Baby is good. I’m a little hungry, but good, too.”

“Do you want something to eat?”

“No, I’m okay. We’ll be eating soon, anyway, and I know your family always prepares _a lot_ of food. Baby and I will be stuffed.”

Rafael chuckled as he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. And I love your family. They’re loud and sometimes a little nosy, but they mean well and they love you.”

“They love you and the kids, too, you know.”

Olivia kissed him again. “I know. Now, let’s go sit so they can start spoiling us. Because it’s our night and they won’t let us want for anything.”

“One thing first,” Rafael said, moving to slide his other arm around her waist as well and pull her close. Bending his head slightly, he captured her lips with his in a deep kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Spanish:  
> Tía: Aunt  
> Tío: Uncle  
> Un tiburón muy guapo: A very handsome shark  
> Silencio, sobrino: Hush/silence, nephew  
> nuestro familia: our family  
> Mi hermosa sobrina: My beautiful niece  
> Preciosa: Precious  
> Regalos: Presents  
> Ahí está mi guapo nieto: There's my handsome grandson  
> Escrito en las estrellas: Written in the stars  
> Ellos son los amores de mi vida: They are the loves of my life  
> Lo sé: I know  
> En tu corazón: In your heart  
> Estás brillando positivmente: You are positively glowing  
> Confío en que cuides bien de tu bella esposa: I trust you are taking care of your beautiful wife  
> El siempre lo hace: He always does
> 
> Italian:  
> Nonna: Grandma  
> Piccola: little one  
> Cara: dear  
> Tesorino: sweetheart/honey
> 
> (I'm not familiar with Italian terms of endearment, or Italian in general, so if my translatioons/terms are wrong, please let me know.)
> 
> Next chapter will be the party :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had about half of this written for almost a week but hadn't been feeling overly inspired to finish. Got the one-shot Manhattan transfer fix done and Stay updated, and started to feel better so I was able to finish this chapter.  
> Special thank you to those who have taken the time to leave comments on every chapter/all of my stuff. I can't tell you how much that means/how much encouragement that gives me.  
> A bit of Rollisi in here in addition to Mirbarsonoah and family  
> Hope you all enjoy!

Sitting at the table she was sharing with her husband and children as well as Lucia, Amanda, Sonny, Jesse, Rita, and Fin, Olivia looked around with a smile. The three children were chatting animatedly amongst themselves as they shoveled food into their mouths. The local Cuban restaurant that she and Rafael loved so much, _Por La Noche_ , had agreed to cater the party, and the food was clearly a hit. It was only Amanda who looked a little uninterested in her food. Her heart ached for her friend. She had a feeling the woman was trying to figure out how to tell her news to the man sitting next to her.

“Everything okay?” she heard Rafael ask.

Turning her head, she saw him looking at her with concern. She smiled and leaned over to give him a quick kiss. “Just thinking happy thoughts.”

“How’s baby?”

“Baby is good. Sleeping, I think.”

“I see _Por La Noche_ has another fan,” Rafael said, nodding toward their daughter, who was enthusiastically eating some _ropa vieja_ and _arroz con pollo_.

Olivia smiled, laying a hand on Rafael’s thigh. “I think you’re right. Do you like her dress?”

“It’s adorable. And you look beautiful. Enrique was right-you’re glowing.”

Olivia blushed and ducked her head, but she was smiling. Rafael always made her feel beautiful, even if she was in her pajama pants and his old Harvard t-shirt with no make-up on.

* * *

“Did Olivia really tell you what they’re having?” Rita whispered to her boyfriend as they approached the table where everyone could guess the new baby’s gender and name.

“I wouldn’t say _tell_ ,” Fin replied with a smile, quickly writing down his guess and putting it in the box.

“What _would_ you say, then?”

Fin took her hand and led her onto the dance floor, where Olivia and Rafael were currently dancing and laughing together. “I _would_ say that you should be prepared to buy a new dress,” he said a few moments later.

Rita smiled, letting him lead her into a dance. Her smile grew as she watched her long-time friend lead his wife around the dance floor. He was happier than she had ever seen him and it warmed her heart.

* * *

“Manda, _amore mio_ , what’s going on?” Sonny asked as Amanda led him out onto the balcony.

“I need to talk to you,” she said, wringing her hands nervously.

“This couldn’t wait until we got home?”

Amanda shook her head, trying to hold back the tears that were welling in her eyes. “After I tell you what I need to tell you, I’m not sure you’ll _want_ to go home with me.”

Sonny was silent as a million thoughts ran through his head. “Now you’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry,” Amanda said as the tears began to fall.

Sonny reached over to cup her face in his hands, doing his best to wipe away her tears with his thumbs. “ _Sorry_ for _what_?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“Oh _, amore mio_ ,” Sonny said, gathering her close and holding her tightly.

Amanda slid her arms under his jacket and clutched the back of his shirt tightly as she cried into his chest. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“No, no, don’t be sorry.”

Sniffling, she looked up at him through tearful eyes. “You’re not mad?”

“Mad?” Sonny asked in confusion. “Why would I be mad?”

“Because!” Amanda said, stepping back and throwing her hands up in frustration. “We haven’t even _talked_ about having kids! I know you love Jesse, and I know your family has lots of kids, but I don’t know if that’s something _you_ want anytime soon!”

Sonny stepped forward and took her hands in his. “Hey, hey, calm down. Look at me.”

Amanda took a deep breath and then looked up at her boyfriend.

“I love you, Manda. With all my heart. And I love Jesse just as much. Was I thinking about us having kids of our own anytime soon? Honestly, no, _but_ I’m not mad or disappointed or any other negative emotion you might be thinking.”

“So you…”

“I want the baby. I want to have this baby _with you_. Raise it with you. Love it with you. I also want to adopt Jesse. Because, you’re right, I do love her. She called me ‘Papa’ earlier.”

Amanda smiled as she wrapped her arms around Sonny’s waist again. “She loves you, too. You _are_ her father as far as I’m concerned.”

Sonny wrapped his arms around her, content to hold her for a few minutes before they had to go back inside, and thought about the surprise he had planned at home for her.

* * *

“So, how would you feel about planning another one of these in a few months?”

Olivia looked up at the sound of her friend’s voice, smiling when the younger woman took a seat next to her at the table. “What do you mean?”

Amanda smiled as she took a seat next to her friend.

“Sonny is happy about the baby.”

“Of course he is. He loves you.”

“You say that now, but I remember you telling me you were _terrified_ to tell Rafael that _you_ were pregnant.”

Olivia chuckled. “Yes, well, I know not that those fears were unfounded. A lot of it was I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to keep Miranda.”

“But you were and now she’s happier than I’ve ever seen her, as are you, Noah, and Rafael.”

Olivia looked out onto the dance floor, where Rafael was dancing with Miranda on his feet. Grabbing her phone, she took a few quick pictures before turning back to her friend. “We are. We’re so happy so many of Rafael’s family members could make it on such short notice, too.”

“I’m pretty sure you can start calling them _your_ family members now, too, Liv.”

Olivia smiled. “I suppose you’re right. As far as planning another one of these, I’m more than happy to help, but I would suggest including Gia. Your mom, too, if that’s what you want. But I planned this with Lucia and it was nice to have someone there to bounce ideas off of, who knows the family.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Amanda said with a smile.

“Did Sonny put in your guess for the baby’s gender and name?”

“I’m not sure. I think so. He wants to adopt Jesse, though. I know that.”

“I can help with that,” Rita volunteered as she joined them. “The adoption, I mean. It’s kind of one of my specialties.”

“It would be fitting,” Olivia opined. “She did help with Noah and Miranda, after all.”

“Speaking of Miranda, I’m still surprised her meeting all of Rafael’s family went better than her meeting us,” Amanda said.

“Her confidence is growing every day,” Olivia replied proudly. “She’s going to be such a good big sister. So is Jesse.”

“Wait, what do you mean ‘so is Jesse’?” Rita asked.

Amanda smiled at the older woman and pressed a hand to her still-flat stomach. “I’m pregnant.”

“Maybe you and Fin will be next,” Olivia teased.

“I think not,” Rita immediately replied, eliciting laughter from Olivia and Amanda.

* * *

Before announcing the gender and name of the baby to their extended family, Rafael and Olivia pulled Noah and Miranda into a nearby room to talk to them about it once more. They had told the kids a couple of nights ago. Noah had been a little disappointed he wouldn’t be getting a brother, but overall seemed fine with it. Miranda, on the other hand, had been a bit emotional. She’d clung to Olivia tightly and only Rafael could convince the little girl to leave her mother’s side.

“So you know your mom and I are announcing the baby’s name tonight, right?” Rafael checked, looking at each of his children to try and gauge their reactions.

“Can we help?” Noah asked from his place on Rafael’s lap.

“Of course, _mijo_.”

Noticing the tears in her daughter’s eyes, Olivia hugged the little girl tightly to her. “Miranda, sweet girl, what’s wrong?”

“You promised,” she said as the tears began to fall in earnest.

“Promised what, _mija_?” Rafael asked.

“Promised…I could…stay.”

Rafael and Olivia exchanged a confused look before turning their attention back to Miranda.

“Of course you can stay,” Olivia told her. “You’re our daughter.”

“Last time…baby girl…I had to…go back,” Miranda managed between sobs.

“You can’t go back,” Noah said. “You’re a Barba now.”

Rafael smiled, pressing a kiss to his son’s head. “Noah is right. You’re Mommy’s and my daughter now, and we love you very much. The new baby is going to need both her big brother _and_ her big sister.”

“Big sister?” Miranda repeated.

Olivia nodded as she wiped away the little girl’s tears. “Yes, sweet girl. Big sister. That’s what you are to this baby. Your dad, Noah, and I need you, too. We’re a family. All of those people you met tonight already love you, too.”

“What’s her name, Mom?” Noah asked.

“Catalina Morales Barba. Catie for short,” Olivia answered, keeping an arm tightly around Miranda as she pressed her other hand to her stomach.

“Morales?”

“It was my _abuelita_ ’s last name before she got married,” Rafael explained.

“The lady in the pictures with _my abuelita_?”

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Her first name was Catalina, too.”

“More pictures?” Miranda asked.

“Tomorrow,” Rafael promised.

“Back to party now? Have cake?”

Olivia laughed. “Oh, Rafa, she is _definitely_ your daughter. She asked _Tía_ Maria about presents the other day and now she’s asking for cake.”

“Cake is good, Mommy,” Noah said with a grin Olivia thought looked a lot like his father’s.

“I know it is, sweet boy. I’ve just never met anyone who likes dessert and snacks quite like your dad.”

Noah tilted his head, again reminding Olivia of Rafael. “I thought you said it was something you loved about him?”

Olivia shared a smile with her husband. “It is,” she assured their son. “One of the many things.”

* * *

Toward the end of the night, Rafael and Olivia sorted through the guesses as to their baby’s gender and name before taking their places at the front of the dance floor. They had a list of the winner plus the four runners up. Once they had everyone’s attention, Rafael spoke first.

“First of all, I would like to thank my beautiful wife and mother for planning this. And Olivia and I would like to thank all of our friends and family who were able to make it here to be with us tonight.”

Olivia laid a hand on her stomach, trying to get the baby to stop kicking. “It seems baby is as excited as the rest of you for this reveal,” she joked, eliciting laughter from the others in the room.

Rafael placed his hand on top of Olivia’s and pressed a kiss to her temple, which seemed to calm the baby. Smiling, she leaned into him a bit as he spoke again. “So, we have one winner and four runners up. The runners up will each get a gift bag and the winners get dinner for two at _Diamantes_.”

“The fourth runner up, with the guess of girl and name of Antonia Catalina Barba is Enrique Diaz,” Olivia announced.

“The third runner up, with the guess of a girl and name of Marisol Catalina Barba is Maria Garcia.”

“The second runner up, with the guess of a girl and name of Catalina Lucia Barba is Sonny Carisi.”

“The first runner up, with the guess of a girl and name of Catalina Diaz Barba is Luna Martinez.”

Turning to Rafael, Olivia nodded at him to begin announcing the winner.

“And the winner is…with the correct guesses of a girl…”

“…and the name of Catalina Morales Barba is…Fin Tutola!”

* * *

As expected, once Fin had claimed his prize, Rafael and Olivia were ambushed by his family.

“Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddy!” they heard Miranda saying, trying to get through the crowd of people around her parents, beginning to cry in frustration when she couldn’t get some people to move.

At a loud whistle from Maria, the entire family stopped moving and talking. Picking up the little girl and nodding to her sister, who was holding Noah, she walked up to Olivia and handed Miranda off to her. Lucia followed close behind her, handing Noah to Rafael. Both children were nearly asleep.

“Shh, sweet girl,” Olivia cooed, rubbing a hand up and down Miranda’s back. “Mommy is right here.”

Hearing her mother’s voice and feeling her touch, Miranda calmed down but all of the excitement of the night was beginning to catch up with her and was causing her to yawn.

“I think it’s time for us to get these two home,” Rafael said to his family. “We’ll see you all for brunch tomorrow.”

“¿ _Regalos_?” Miranda asked sleepily, eliciting a chuckle from the adults nearby.

“ _Tía_ Maria and I are going to bring your presents to my house,” Lucia told her.

“ _Gracias, Abuelita_.”

Lucia smiled, pressing a kiss first to her head and then Noah’s.

“ _Te veo mañana_ ,” she said before hugging her son and daughter-in-law as best she could with their arms full of children.

“ _Gracias,_ Mami,” Rafael told her, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

* * *

After putting both of their children to bed, Olivia and Rafael retreated to their own bedroom.

“Livia, are you okay?” Rafael asked when he noticed the tears in her eyes.

Olivia nodded as she waved a hand in front of her face. “Just emotional.”

Rafael drew her down into their bed and into his arms. “Emotional about what?”

“Just really happy. Your family accepted Noah and me right away, and then they did the same thing with Miranda. I know they’ll do the same for the baby. I’ve never had _family_ like that before. The pregnancy hormones just kind of...intensify…everything.”

Rafael kissed her softly. “They’re your family now, too, _mi vida_.”

Olivia gave him a watery smile. “I know.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Olivia said, her smile growing when she felt the baby kick. “I think Catalina wants you to say goodnight to her, too.”

Rafael gave her another kiss before leaning over and pressing a kiss to her stomach. “ _Buenas noches, mi niña._ Mommy and I love you very much.”

Olivia felt tears well in her eyes again as she rested her hand on the back of Rafael’s head and listened to him talk to their baby. It was always the little moments like this that she loved most, where Rafael would let his guard down completely and let her see whatever emotions he was experiencing. They were each other’s best friend and she felt that that only strengthened their love, their bond. There truly was no one else she would want to experience all of this with, have a family with. Only Rafael. She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of him saying her name and chuckling.

“What’s so funny?” she asked, noticing he had moved back up the bed and was looking at her with amusement.

“You’re adorable, that’s all,” Rafael replied, leaning over to kiss her. “You looked like you were off in another world.”

Olivia lifted her hand to cup his cheek. “More happy reflecting is all.”

“Baby asleep?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now you should get some sleep. I’m not sure how late the kids are going to let us sleep.”

“Mm. You can entertain them while baby and I take a bath.”

Rafael chuckled. “Okay.”

Olivia snuggled closer to him and closed her eyes, letting sleep claim her shortly after she felt Rafael wrap her in his arms again.

* * *

“Are you sure your mom was okay taking Jesse tonight?” Amanda asked Sonny as they walked down the hall to their apartment.

“She offered,” Sonny reminded her. The truth was, he’d asked his mother to take the little girl as it was essential to the surprise he had planned for Amanda.

“Jesse has been infatuated with that croissant-type thing you made for her last weekend. I think I heard your mom offering to make them for her.”

Sonny chuckled. “You mean _cornetti ripieni_?”

“Yes.”

“If I remember correctly, Jesse wasn’t the only one who liked them.”

Amanda laughed. “Oh, she’s not. They were delicious.”

* * *

When they stepped inside the apartment, Amanda immediately noticed the rose petals.

“Sonny?” she asked.

“Follow them,” he encouraged softly.

Although she was already feeling tears well in her eyes at the romantic gesture of the rose petals alone, something she had confessed to Sonny one night after one too many glasses of wine that she had always dreamed about someone doing for her, she did as he asked. She followed the petals down the hall to their bedroom, where she found a white teddy bear holding a heart that read ‘I love you’ next to a small white box with a red ribbon tied around it.

“Open it,” Sonny told her with a nod when she turned to look at him.

Amanda nodded again, picking up the box and carefully untying the ribbon. Lifting the lid off of the box, she gasped when she saw the ring nestled inside the open ring box. Taking the box from Amanda, Sonny lifted the ring box out and knelt down on one knee, making sure to keep the ring box facing her.

“Amanda Marie Rollins, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you and our kids. Will you marry me?”

Amanda nodded. “Yes,” she managed to get out through her tears.

Grinning at her, Sonny took the ring out of the box and took her left hand in his before sliding the ring on her fourth finger.

* * *

The next morning, Rafael woke to find Miranda standing at the edge of the bed, Lovey clutched tightly in her arms. Glancing at the clock, he knew it was too early for the little girl to be awake.

“Do you want to cuddle?” he asked, lifting the comforter.

Miranda nodded, crawling into the bed and over him to lie between him and Olivia.

“Hi, my sweet girl,” Olivia said softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Lovey had a bad dream,” Miranda explained, eliciting smiles from both of her parents.

Rafael leaned over to press a kiss first to the top of Lovey’s head and then to Miranda’s. “There, now you can both go back to sleep.”

Miranda nodded, snuggling closer to him and closing her eyes.

“So, how long do you think it’ll be until our son joins us?” Rafael asked Olivia.

As if his thoughts had summoned him, Rafael heard Noah’s voice before Olivia could answer.

“Mom? Dad? I heard Miranda crying, but she’s not in her room.”

“You’re just in time for family cuddle time, _mijo_ ,” Rafael told him.

“Can I go get Eddie first?”

“Of course. We can’t leave him out.”

* * *

When he returned to his parents’ room a few minutes later, Noah debated on the best way to get into the bed. Miranda was curled up to Rafael and he didn’t want to hurt Olivia by trying to climb over her but he wanted to lie between his parents like Miranda was doing. Sensing his hesitation, Olivia smiled as she stood and lifted her side of the comforter.

“Come on, my sweet boy,” she said.

Noah grinned, crawling into the bed next to Miranda and waiting for Olivia to join them.

“ _Buenas noches, mis amores_ ,” Rafael said before closing his eyes.

Olivia smiled as Noah snuggled close to her, happy that he stilled liked to cuddle sometimes.

* * *

“Don't want to wear that!” Miranda said, crossing her arms over her chest as she rejected yet another outfit.

Rafael sighed. “ _Mija_ , tell me what you want to wear, then.”

“Something like Mommy.”

Rafael thought about the outfit Olivia had put on after her bath this morning. It was a simple pair of black pants with a light green top, paired with her black ballet flats. Looking through his daughter’s clothes, he found black leggings and her favorite green ruffled top. He made a mental note to give Lucy some extra money for doing laundry the other day when she was watching the kids. He was sure she helped him avoid a meltdown from his two-year-old.

“How about these?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at said two-year-old.

Miranda smiled and nodded, letting Rafael help her put the outfit on.

* * *

“Look, Mommy!” Miranda exclaimed as she ran out into the living room.

“We match again!” Olivia replied with a smile. “So do Noah and Dad, although I don’t think that was intentional.”

Rafael winked at Noah, eliciting a giggle from the little boy.

“Are we ready to go then?” he asked a few moments later.

“Shoes, Daddy!” Miranda said, rushing to grab the little ballet flats that looked almost identical to Olivia’s.

“Ah, yes, how could I forget _los zapatos_.”

Noah laughed as he put on his own shoes. “You’re funny, Dad.”

* * *

When they entered Lucia’s house, Miranda immediately made a beeline for the pile of presents that had her name on a card in front of them. Rafael laughed, grabbing her around the waist.

“ _Los regalos_ are for _after_ brunch, _mija_ ,” he said, turning her around and settling her on his hip.

“¿ _Un regalo ahora_?”

“Nice try.”

Miranda pouted a little, but laughed when Rafael pressed a loud kiss to her cheek.

“¡ _Abuelita_!” Noah said excitedly when he spotted his grandmother.

“ _Nieto_ ,” Lucia replied with a wide smile as she bent to accept his hug.

“I smell _pastelitos_.”

“Of course. _Es tradicion_.”

Noah tilted his head to the side, a move Lucia had seen Rafael do countless times when he was thinking about something. “It’s tradition?”

Lucia nodded. “Good job, _nieto_. You’re so smart.”

Noah beamed at her praise. He looked up when he felt a hand on the back of his head, seeing his father smiling at him. “ _Mi niño inteligente_.”

“Where’s _tu hermosa esposa_?” Lucia asked her son as she stood.

“Letting _Tía_ Maria and _Tío_ Enrique fawn over her. She went to talk to Luna and they both immediately started asking them if they needed anything.”

“Down, Daddy,” Miranda said, beginning to wiggle in her father’s arms.

“ _No regalos_ ,” he told her, but set her down as she requested.

Miranda grabbed her brother’s hand and lead him toward a pile of toys that Selena had already begun digging into. “Play, Noah.”

“Why don’t you put some music on for us, _mijo_?” Lucia suggested. “You still owe me a dance.”

Rafael chuckled and leaned down to press a kiss to his mother’s cheek before taking out his phone and connecting it to the Bluetooth speakers he’d set up the previous week. Pulling up the playlist titled ‘Mami’s house’, he smiled when he heard the Cuban music begin to play. After setting his phone down on the counter, he held his hand out to his mother. He’d purposely started the playlist with one of her favorite songs.

“ _Bailar conmigo_ , Mami,” he said.

Lucia laughed as she let Rafael pull her into the living room, where her furniture had been pushed back, and begin to lead her in a dance.

* * *

Looking over at her husband and mother-in-law, Olivia couldn’t help but smile. She knew they had hit a bit of a rough patch after his grandmother died, but they seemed to have fully repaired their relationship now and she was happy to see it. Grabbing her phone, she snapped some pictures of mother and son dancing as well as the three kids playing with the various toys Lucia had set out. When she heard one of _her_ favorite songs begin to play, she stood and walked over to them.

“Would you mind if I steal _mi esposo_ for a dance?” she asked the older woman.

Lucia patted Rafael’s cheek before turning to Olivia with a smile. “Of course, _mija_. _Bailar lejos_.”

Olivia slid her arms around Rafael’s neck as his slid around her waist and they pulled each other close, swaying slowly to the song. She knew she was likely going to be exhausted by the end of brunch and would need a nap when they returned home, but she loved being surrounded by Rafael and their family.

The party last night had gone better than she had even hoped, and Carisi had texted her this morning saying he’d gotten some good pictures, including a couple of Rafael’s entire family. He and Amanda were sending the disposable cameras off to be developed and were going through the Polaroid pictures that had been taken as well. They had plans to meet for dinner later that night to go through them.

When the song changed again, she felt two little bodies run into them. Looking down, she saw Miranda and Noah each holding onto a leg of hers and one of Rafael’s.

“We want to dance too, Mom,” Noah explained.

Olivia and Rafael both smiled and nodded, and then each took one hand of their children’s and stepped back to allow them all to dance together. The family of four was soon joined by Luna, Santino, and Selena, and didn’t see the many phones being taken out to capture the moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Spanish:  
> Por La Noche: At Night [it sounds better in Spanish for a restaurant name :) ]  
> ropa vieja: a Cuban dish with shredded/pulled stewed beef and vegetables  
> arroz con pollo: chicken and rice (or literally translated, rice with chicken)  
> Diamantes: Diamond [again, it sounds better in Spanish/Italian (same in both languages)]  
> Regalos: presents/gifts  
> Buenas noches: goodnight  
> Te veo mañana: I'l see you tomorrow  
> mis amores: my loves  
> los zapatos: the shoes  
> un regalo ahora: one present now  
> Es tradicion: It's tradition  
> Mi niño inteligente: my smart boy  
> Bailar conmigo: dance with me  
> Bailar lejos: dance away  
> Italian:  
> amore mio: my love  
> cornetti ripieni: basically an Italian version of the croissant filled with jam, pastry cream, etc. (this is how the website I found it on describes it)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly Barson and Rollisi fluff chapter. Still working out plans for what I want to do with this story, besides Barson baby of course, but thought you all would like some fluff. And I enjoy writing it, so there's always that, too. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoy (and comments/suggestions for what you'd like to see are always welcome)! :)

* * *

As she had predicted, by the time she returned home from brunch with her and Rafael’s extended family, Olivia was exhausted and ready for a nap.

“Mommy play?” Miranda asked, tugging on Olivia’s hand.

“Mommy needs a nap, sweet girl,” Olivia answered.

Miranda kept a tight hold of Olivia’s hand. “Me, too.”

Olivia glanced at her watch and realized it actually was about time for the little girl’s nap. “We can have nap time while Daddy and Noah play.”

“But, Mom, you said we could open the presents when we got home,” Noah reminded her.

“ _Mijo_ , your mom is tired and Miranda needs a nap. We stayed at _Abuelita_ ’s longer than we originally planned, and Uncle Sonny, Aunt Amanda, and Jesse are coming over in a few hours,” Rafael said.

Noah sighed, but he knew his dad was right.

“I think we could stay awake long enough for one present,” Olivia decided.

“¡ _Regalo_!” Miranda said excitedly, eliciting laughter from Noah, Olivia, and Rafael.

“Your brother gets to pick his first.”

Miranda nodded and watched as Noah dug through the bag of presents that Rafael had indicated were his. After he had selected a medium-sized one, he quickly unwrapped it and found a new book along with a small Lego set inside.

“What book did you get, _mijo_?” Rafael asked.

“ _If You Give a Mouse a Cookie_ ,” Noah answered, holding up the book for his parents to see.

“Who is that from?”

“ _Abuelita_.”

Rafael took out his phone. “Maybe we should send a picture to her as a thank you?”

Noah nodded, posing for the picture before turning to his sister. “Your turn.”

Miranda grinned and quickly unwrapped the present she had chosen. “Colors!”

“I guess we know what the kids will be doing tonight,” Rafael said to his wife.

“Unwrapping more presents?” Noah asked with a grin.

Rafael chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his son’s hair. “After Mom and Miranda finish their nap.”

“Naptime with Mommy!” Miranda said excitedly.

“You need to let Mommy rest, _mija_ , and you need to sleep, too,” Rafael reminded her.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Come on, sweet girl,” Olivia said as she stood, holding a hand out for her daughter. “Naptime.”

“Can I read my book to you later?” Noah asked his mother.

“Of course, sweet boy. You and your dad can work on your Lego while Miranda and I nap, and then when we wake up, you can read me the book.”

* * *

“Where is the new baby going to sleep?”

Rafael looked up from the piece of Noah’s Lego creation he was working on. “In Mom’s and my bedroom at first. Eventually, she’ll have her own room like you and Miranda do. Why?”

Noah shrugged. “Just wondering.”

“What’s wrong, _mijo_?”

“What if…what if _I_ need you or Mom?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like if I have a bad dream or something…”

“You can still come get one of us; we’ll still be here for you and Miranda.”

“But babies need a lot of attention. That’s what _Abuelita_ said.”

“Yes, because they can’t do a lot of things by themselves yet. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be here for you and Miranda.”

Noah frowned. “Why couldn’t it stay just the three of us?”

Rafael was taken aback by his son’s question and wished Olivia was awake to help him with this.

“Noah, _mijo_ , your mom and I talked to you about this before we adopted Miranda.”

“But now you and Mom are having a baby together.”

“That doesn’t mean we love you or Miranda less.”

Noah fidgeted with the Lego in his hand. “Sometimes I miss having you and Mom to myself.”

“Well, you are five now, so maybe one night you could stay up later and we could have some time just the three of us. Or Miranda can go to _Abuelita_ ’s for a sleepover. But you have to understand that Miranda may want Mom and me to herself, too. Catalina, too, when she gets older.”

“Maybe I could go to _Abuelita_ ’s then?”

“I’m sure she’d love that. I’ll talk to your mom about it, okay?”

“Okay. Will I get to hold the baby?”

“Maybe. That’s something else your Mom and I will have to talk about. Is that something you’d like?”

Noah nodded. “When Kelly’s little sister was born, she got to hold her. And she was only four.”

“You’d have to sit very still.”

“I can do that.”

Rafael nodded. “I still have to talk to your mom.”

“Who’s going to take care of us when Mom is having the baby?”

“ _Abuelita_ and Lucy.”

“But they haven’t met.”

“Maybe Lucy can stay for dinner one night and we can invite _Abuelita_ over as well, and they can meet then. I’m sure they’ll get along. They can talk about how much trouble you are.”

Noah giggled. “I’m not trouble!”

“No?”

“No. That’s _Eddie_.”

“That’s right. He’s quite the troublemaker. Gets up in the middle of the night and steals the ice cream.”

“You caught him?”

“I pretended not to see him.”

Noah’s giggles increased. “You’re funny, Dad.”

Rafael reached out and tickled his side. “Am I?”

“Yes,” Noah said between giggles before promptly launching himself at Rafael and hugging him tightly. “I’m glad you’re my dad.”

“Me, too, _mijo_ ,” Rafael replied, returning his son’s hug and pressing a kiss to his head.

* * *

When Olivia woke from her nap, she saw that Miranda was still asleep beside her. It didn’t surprise her; the little girl had been going non-stop since she had woken up that morning. Reaching over, she ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair and found herself imagining what Catalina would look like.

“Mommy,” Miranda murmured, snuggling closer to her and bringing her out of her thoughts.

“It’s time to wake up, sweet girl,” she said softly.

“Stay here with you.”

Olivia was concerned at Miranda’s words. “Are you still worried about having to go back?”

“No.”

“Just comfortable?”

“Yeah.”

Olivia chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of Miranda’s head. “We need to check on Daddy and Noah, make sure they survived without us.”

Miranda giggled. “Noah read,” she remembered.

“You want to hear about the mouse and the cookie?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go ask him, then, shall we?” Olivia suggested as she got out of the bed and held her hand out to Miranda.

* * *

“Noah!” Miranda called as she ran ahead of Olivia and into the living room.

Before he could process his sister calling his name, Noah felt her arms wrap tightly around him.

“Miranda, _mija_ , you need to let your brother breathe,” Rafael said with a laugh, gently trying to loosen her grip. “He can’t read to you if he can’t breathe.”

“Sorry, Noah,” Miranda apologized.

“You want to read the book now?” he asked, smiling when she nodded.

“Maybe we should all sit on the couch?” Olivia suggested.

“You and Daddy too?” Miranda checked.

“Of course,” Rafael agreed, picking her up and settling on the couch with her in his lap.

After grabbing his book, Noah settled between his parents on the couch and began to read. While he read to them, Olivia and Rafael shared a smile over their children’s heads. This was going to be one of their favorite memories as a family of four.

* * *

“Jess, baby, we need to go,” Amanda said to her daughter, who was currently sitting on her bed with her arms crossed.

“No.”

“Don’t you want to see Auntie Liv and Uncle Rafael? And Noah and Miranda?”

“No.”

“We’re ordering pizza. You like pizza.”

“No.”

Amanda sighed. Jesse’s new favorite word was “no”. Everything was always no.

“Jesse Nicole Rollins, we need to leave now or we’re going to be late.”

“No!”

“I give up,” Amanda muttered, walking out of the room in search of her fiancé.

* * *

“Where’s Jesse?” Sonny asked when only Amanda appeared in the living room.

Amanda threw up her hands. “All she says is “no”! You deal with your daughter.”

Setting his camera and computer bag down, Sonny walked over to Amanda and kissed her before continuing down the hall to Jesse’s room.

* * *

“Jesse, _piccola,_ why don’t you want to leave?” Sonny asked as he walked into Jesse’s room.

“No.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Jesse glared up at him. “No,” she repeated.

Sonny plucked Jesse off of the bed, surprising her. “We need to leave. You like playing with Noah and Miranda, I know you do.”

Jesse sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

“ _Piccola_ , you need to be good for your Mama and me, and tell us when something is bothering you.”

“No pizza, Papa.”

“You like pizza.”

“Want spaghetti.”

“We can have spaghetti tomorrow night. Auntie Liv is ordering you your own little pizza.”

Jesse perked up at this, raising her head to look at him. “My own?” she asked.

“All your own,” Sonny replied.

“Spaghetti tomorrow?”

“Spaghetti tomorrow. Maybe _Nonna_ will even come over and make it.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll call her on the way and ask. But you have to be good tonight.”

“I promise.”

“I think you owe your mama an apology, too.”

Jesse sighed, but nodded in agreement and began wiggling to get down.

* * *

“Mama!” Jesse said as she ran into the living room and straight into Amanda’s legs.

Amanda kneeled down so she was on her daughter’s level. “Are you feeling better now?”

Jesse nodded. “I’m sorry, Mama.”

“I need you talk to me, too, Jesse. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

Jesse nodded again.

“Give me a hug and then we need to go or we’ll really be late,” Amanda said with a sigh.

Jesse smiled and hugged her mother tightly. When Sonny joined them, she reached her arms up for him.

“Manda, can you get my camera and computer?” Sonny asked, lifting Jesse into his arms.

“Sure,” Amanda agreed as she stood.

* * *

At the sound of a knock at the door, both Noah and Miranda began to run toward the door, only to be stopped by an arm around each of their waists.

“Not so fast, _niños_ ,” Rafael said. “You both know the rule about answering the door.”

“We weren’t going to _open_ it,” Noah replied.

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

Noah made a face at his father, who made one back at him.

“So mature, Rafael,” Olivia commented with a laugh as she walked around the three of them to answer the door.

At their mother’s comment, Noah and Miranda looked at each other and then began to giggle.

* * *

“I think we missed something?” Amanda asked Olivia as she, Sonny, and Jesse walked in to find Rafael, Noah, and Miranda laughing together in the living room. She still wasn’t used to seeing this side of the usually snarky and acerbic ADA.

“Don’t mind them,” Olivia replied, doing her best to hide her smile.

“Come, on, Jess, let’s go over to the _fun_ side of the room,” Sonny said to Jesse, causing Amanda to shake her head at them.

“Funny,” she said. “Liv and I will have some girl chat time, then.”

* * *

“How are you feeling?” Olivia asked as she handed Amanda a glass of water.

“Good today. A little queasy this morning, but I didn’t throw up, so that’s a plus in my book.”

“So let’s see this ring, then.”

Amanda smiled, holding out her hand so Olivia could admire her engagement ring. “It was Sonny’s grandma’s ring.”

“It’s gorgeous.”

“I love it.”

“Do you think you’ll get married before the baby is born?”

Amanda shrugged. “We haven’t really talked about it. Being pregnant on my wedding day isn’t exactly something I always envisioned.”

“Do you want a big wedding?”

“No, but I want more than a quick ceremony in a judge’s chambers. Sorry, Liv.”

Olivia shrugged and waved her off. “It was what Rafa and I wanted. But I never thought I’d get married at all, so I never really envisioned a wedding to begin with. I just wanted to be married to him; the how didn’t really matter to me.”

“I can understand that,” Amanda agreed. “I think I’d like a small ceremony. A few family and friends.”

“Talk to Sonny about it. I’ll help however I can. I’m sure Lucia would, too. I think she and Gia would have too much fun helping plan the whole thing.”

“Gia is the best. She came over and took care of Jesse the other day when my babysitter flaked again. She and Jesse were immediately best friends.”

“Reminds me of Lucia and Noah.”

“She got along with Miranda right away, though, didn’t she?”

Olivia nodded. “She did. Rafa says that Lucia naturally attracts all children.”

“I can see that.”

* * *

A couple of hours later, after everyone had eaten pizza and the kids went to play in the living room, the four adults sat around the kitchen table to look at the pictures on Sonny’s computer.

“We’ll have the pictures from the disposable cameras tomorrow afternoon. I’ll bring them in on Tuesday,” Sonny explained as he inserted his camera’s memory card and brought up the pictures.

“I think we definitely need a few copies of this one,” Olivia said when Sonny stopped on a picture of her, Rafael, Miranda, and Noah.

Sonny nodded, making a note of how many copies of the picture to print and then continuing with the slideshow.

* * *

Once they had finished going through the pictures, the four adults noticed the kids had all gone quiet. Standing, they walked over to the living room where they found all three kids asleep. Noah and Miranda were in the oversized recliner, each with a head on one of the armrests, while Jesse was sprawled out on the couch. The ending credits of _Toy Story 2_ were playing on the TV.

“I guess it’s later than we thought,” Olivia said with a smile as Rafael gathered Noah in his arms and Sonny did the same to Jesse.

“Hopefully she stays asleep,” Amanda commented as she and Sonny walked to the door. “I’m about ready to crash myself. ‘Night, Liv. ‘Night, Rafael.”

“Goodnight,” Rafael replied with a nod before heading down the hall with Noah.

“See you tomorrow,” Olivia said, giving Amanda a hug and then patting Sonny’s arm. “And thank you for the pictures.”

* * *

After settling Miranda in her bed, Olivia turned to see Rafael leaning against the door frame.

“Noah still asleep?” she asked, following him out into the hallway.

“Yes. Is Catalina sleeping?”

Olivia smiled and nodded. “She is. But you can still say goodnight to her if you want.”

Rafael stopped to give her a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

“No! Don’t touch!”

“Want to help.”

“I don’t need any help.”

Looking up from the case file he’d been reading, Rafael set his pen down and stood to see what his children were fighting about. Olivia was still at work, but he had moved some meetings around so he could work from home since the kids didn’t have school today and Lucy needed the afternoon off. He saw Noah working on his latest Lego creation and Miranda had tears welling in her eyes.

“Go play with your shapes,” Noah told her. “You’re too little for this.”

“Want to help,” Miranda repeated tearfully, reaching for a piece of Lego.

“No!” Noah snapped, snatching the piece out of her hand and putting it back on the table.

“Noah!” Rafael scolded.

“I told her no and she wouldn’t listen. It’s not my fault.”

“Play with Noah,” Miranda insisted.

“ _Mija_ , Noah is playing with his Lego right now. I’m afraid he’s right, you’re too little for this.”

Miranda looked tearfully between her brother and her father. “I can’t help?”

“I have an idea,” Noah said, dropping the piece of Lego he’d been holding and hurrying down the hall. When he returned a few moments later, he was carrying a box Rafael recognized as one of the presents Miranda had received at the party the previous weekend.

Reaching out, he ran a hand over Noah’s hair as the boy handed the box to his sister. “These are more your size, _mija_. You can play with these while Noah plays with his.”

Miranda nodded excitedly, quickly opening the box and dumping the larger Lego-shaped blocks on the floor.

“Good idea, _mijo_ ,” Rafael said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before going back to reading the case file.

* * *

“I need another detective,” Olivia announced as she entered Dodds’ office.

Dodds looked up from his paperwork and frowned in confusion. “Another one?”

Olivia nodded as she took a seat in front of his desk. “I’m still technically short-handed.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re going to tell me something bad?”

“You know how much you love SVU.”

“Cut to the chase, Lieutenant.”

“Amanda is pregnant.”

Dodds leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling, muttering under his breath.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said a few moments later. “Your unit is going to be the death of me.”

Olivia simply smiled. “You wanted to be kept up-to-date.”

“Now you sound like your husband.”

Olivia laughed. “I’ll make sure to tell him you said that.”

* * *

“Heard your wife’s department is stressing my friend out,” McCoy commented as he took a seat in front of Rafael’s desk.

Rafael chuckled, setting aside the case file he’d been looking at. “Liv told me. I could always stick him with my two and five-year-old kids for an afternoon. I doubt he’d be muttering so much about SVU after that.”

McCoy laughed. “Had a fun afternoon at home?”

“Yeah, making my two-year-old nearly cry by telling her she’s too little for something was great fun.”

“Now that’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d ever hear you say.”

Rafael laughed.“Me, neither.”

“But now?”

“But now I wouldn’t trade any of my kids for anything.”

“Think any of them will become a lawyer?”

“Well, obviously we don’t know what Catalina’s personality will be yet, but as for Miranda or Noah…if I had to pick…I’d say Noah becomes a cop like Liv and Miranda becomes a lawyer.”

“Really.”

“They could both become lawyers, too, I suppose. Whatever they want.”

“Now that you mention it, I could see Miranda becoming a lawyer,” McCoy said. “She certainly knows what she wants.”

Rafael laughed again. “I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve stopped her from doing something or going somewhere without Liv or me. My mother insists she’s a lot like me as a child and it’s only what I deserve.”

McCoy smiled at his long-time friend and colleague. “It’s good to see you happy, Rafael.”

* * *

The following afternoon, as he was once again working from home and Olivia was taking a nap, Rafael heard the sound of blocks falling and looked up to see Miranda’s block tower now in pieces of the floor. He knew without looking that there were frustrated tears in her eyes. Setting down his pen, he stood and walked over to her.

“What’s wrong, _mija_?” he asked gently as he knelt by her side.

“Tower didn’t work,” she said tearfully as she practically threw herself into his arms.

“Do you want me to help you?”

Miranda shook her head. “Be a big girl.”

Rafael sighed, hugging his daughter close to him while he rubbed a hand up and down her back in comfort.

“Dad still helps me sometimes,” he heard Noah say as he approached them. “Even when I don’t need help, it’s still fun to build stuff with him.”

“How about Noah and I _both_ help you?” Rafael suggested.

Miranda wiped the tears from her cheeks and nodded.

* * *

Walking into the living room, Olivia smiled when she saw Rafael, Noah, and Miranda building something with her blocks. She had gotten two boxes of them and had insisted she wanted both rather than return one and pick out something else. It appeared that both boxes of blocks were now spread out over the living room floor. But she was smiling and laughing, and that was truly all that mattered.

“Think you could use another builder?” she asked as she approached the trio.

“You can help me with this side, Mom,” Noah answered.

Smiling, Olivia sat down next to her son and ran a hand over his hair before waiting for him to instruct her on what to do next.

* * *

“That doesn’t look like work,” Olivia teased, glancing at her husband’s computer screen when she returned from putting their children to bed.

“It’s not,” Rafael replied distractedly.

“You’re looking at houses?”

Rafael sighed, running a hand through his hair before turning to his wife. “McCoy is selling his house, and this is the listing for it. He’s been renting it out for years, but now he just wants to get rid of it. He said if we want it, he’d give us a deal. I thought it would be nice for the kids to have more space. It’s a little outside the city, but we both have cars and the commute isn’t bad. The kids could stay in their schools, too.”

Olivia pulled a chair up next to Rafael’s. “Show me.”

* * *

Walking through the courthouse to get to her son’s office, Lucia stopped when she heard someone call her name. The voice was familiar, but it didn’t belong to her son. Turning, she came face to face with a man she hadn’t seen in at least ten years.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Supporting a friend. His daughter was killed in a car crash, deliberately ran off the road.”

“I’m so sorry.”

The man simply nodded. “What about you? What are you doing here?”

“I’m supposed to meet my son for lunch. He works here.”

“Rafael is still an ADA?”

“Yes. He transferred here to Manhattan a couple of years ago.”

“How is he doing?”

Lucia smiled. “He’s good. Married now, with two kids and another on the way.”

“Wow.”

“He’s a wonderful father,” Lucia replied, her smile growing as she thought of her son. Then she thought of her old friend’s children “How is Marisol?”

“She’s good, too. Busy being a successful doctor. She and Carlos have two kids-a boy and a girl.”

“And Jose and Laura?”

“Both good, too. Busy with their careers. They visit when they can, bring their families.”

Lucia nodded. “Glad to hear they’re doing well. I should go, Rafi is expecting me, but it was good to see you.”

“You, too…Could I call you sometime?”

“Um, sure, I guess,” she said, digging a piece of paper and a pen out of her bag. After writing her number down, she handed it to him. “Don’t be a stranger.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thousand_miles and joyfulmariskahgt requested emotional pregnant Liv, so I hope you two are happy ;) BaGi14 wanted more of the squad, so I tried to include that as well. They should be in the next chapter more, but while this chapter references a case, I don't intend for this to become another case fic. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! :)

“You’re late, Mami,” Rafael playfully chastised as he saw his mother enter his office.

“ _Lo siento, mijo_ ,” Lucia replied with a laugh. “I ran into an old friend on the way here.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Javier Santos. The daughter of a friend of his was killed in a car accident and they don’t believe it actually was an accident.”

“Isn’t that the name of the guy you dated in high school?”

“Yes. I’ve seen him at various reunions and things over the years.”

“Hmm.”

Lucia narrowed her eyes at her son. “Rafael Eduardo, don’t you dare even _think_ about trying to find him so you can _talk_ to him.”

Rafael laughed. “I wasn’t going to.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

Rafael held a hand over his heart and put on his best hurt expression. “That hurts, Mami.”

Lucia laughed and shook her head. He was mocking how she had reacted when he’d accused her of plotting to get another grandchild, but she couldn’t be mad at him for it. It was good to see him happy and laughing so much.

* * *

“Hey, Lu, we need a warrant from Barba. I was going to head over and get it if you want to tag along?” Sonny said as he walked into Olivia’s office.

Olivia shook her head to clear her thoughts. She’d been staring at the same piece of paper for the last five minutes, trying to get her brain to make sense of anything. She really wished she could have caffeine right now.

“Uh, sure, that’d be great, just give me a few minutes to pack up,” she managed to answer a few seconds later.

“Sure, I’ll just check in with Manda quick.”

Olivia smiled at her friend and then went about packing up her laptop and the files she wanted to take with her.

* * *

Walking into the outer space in front of Rafael’s office, Olivia placed a hand on her stomach, causing Sonny to look over at her in concern. Sometimes he was as bad as Rafael with his hovering.

“Catalina has been very active the last couple of days. I think she’s voicing her displeasure with Rafa working so late and not saying goodnight to her,” Olivia said with a small smile.

Sonny returned her smile and nodded. He wondered if his and Amanda’s baby would be the same way.

Opening Rafael’s door, Olivia started speaking without looking to see if he was alone.

“Rafa, you need to have a chat with your daughter about kicking me all day…long…” she said, trailing off when she saw Yelina standing close to Rafael, her hand on his chest.

“Liv,” Rafael said, stepping toward her and reaching for her hand. “Yelina was just leaving.”

Olivia shook her head and pulled her hand away. “I’ll let you two _catch up_. I think I’m just going to catch a cab home. Sonny can get the warrant.”

“Olivia,” Rafael tried again, catching her wrist this time. “ _Por favor, mi vida. Mírame._ ”

Olivia sniffed and then turned tear-filled eyes on her husband. Ignoring the other two people in the room, Rafael lightly tugged on her wrist and pulled her into his arms. When she buried her face in his shoulder, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head before addressing the other two. “Sonny, the warrant you need is on top of my laptop. Yelina, I asked you three times already, please leave. We have nothing to talk about.”

“Come on, Mrs. Muños, I’ll walk you out,” Sonny said after he’d picked up the warrant. “Barba, I’ll tell Carmen to hold your calls. Lu, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rafael nodded gratefully at Sonny and then turned his attention back to his wife. Leading her over to the couch, he sat next to her and wrapped her in his arms again, her head resting on his shoulder.

“Livia, tell me what this is all about,” he said softly.

“I’m just being over-emotional,” Olivia replied. “I saw you with Yelina and I thought…I know you two have a history…and I thought…maybe you…maybe you wanted to…revisit that…She’s so pretty and skinny…and I’m…not anymore…I was never…that skinny…anyway…”

Rafael hugged her close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “There is no woman in the world more beautiful than you, Livia. Not to me. You’re not fat, you’re pregnant…and even if you weren’t…I’ve only had eyes for you since we met.”

Olivia raised her head and looked at him. “Really?”

Rafael gave her a shy half-smile. “Really. Why do you think I married you so quickly? I wasn’t about to let you get away.”

Olivia chuckled. “I’m not going anywhere, Rafa.”

“You were just a few minutes ago.”

“Pregnancy hormones. They make me overreact to the smallest things. And your daughter woke up early this morning and has been kicking me most of the day, so I’m a little tired.”

Rafael moved one of his hands to Olivia’s stomach, smiling when she placed her hand over his.

“It’s okay, _niñita_ , you can go to sleep now,” he said softly. “ _Te amo_.”

Olivia smiled when she felt the kicking stop. She had a feeling Catalina was definitely going to be a daddy’s girl.

“You know it’s only fair I get one of our daughters, since Miranda is so attached to you,” Rafael joked, reading her mind.

Olivia laughed. “What about our son?”

Rafael winked at her. “You know I’ve always been his favorite.”

“So if we have another son, does that mean he’ll be mine?”

“You want more kids?”

Olivia shrugged a little. “We’ll see. I’d like to wait until Catalina is a little older to think about another child, though. A five-year-old, a two-year-old, well, three by the time Catalina is born, and a newborn? I think that’s enough for a while.”

Rafael chuckled. “True.”

Olivia yawned, snuggling closer to Rafael and closing her eyes. She whined a little when Rafael stood and pulled her to stand.

“I’m taking you home. I can work from there this afternoon. The kids are at school until three and then Lucy is going to pick them up and watch them while I make dinner,” he said.

“Tonight is dinner with your mom and Lucy,” Olivia remembered.

“Yes,” Rafael answered as he quickly packed up his briefcase and then took Olivia’s hand, lacing their fingers together.

* * *

Once she and Rafael were home, Olivia felt tears begin to prick her eyes again. She couldn’t get the picture of Yelina and Rafael standing together in his office out of her head.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Rafael asked.

“It’s stupid.”

Rafael sighed. “Is this still about Yelina?”

“ _Still_?!” Olivia asked a little incredulously. “You expect me to just forget about the way she was touching you so…so… _intimately_?”

“Livia, I told you, the only one I want is _you_.”

“What did she want, Rafael?”

Rafael rolled his eyes and sighed. “What do you think? For me to wave some kind of magic wand and make things better for Alex. So she doesn’t have to continue to explain to her daughters why their father can’t just come home. Aside from the fact that she was _silent_ when Alex tried to blame _me_ for _his_ issues, I had no part of his prosecution. I stayed involved as long as McCoy asked me to, and I did what I could to help Eddie, the only one of them actually _deserving_ of any help. Alex got what he deserved. Actually, he got off easy for what he did, but he deserved to be punished.”

“So you wouldn’t…ever consider…” Olivia trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

Rafael shook his head, reaching over to take her hands in his. “ _Never_.”

“But she’s beautiful…”

“She’s manipulative as hell. Yes, we dated when we were younger, before I went off to Harvard, but I had to find out from _Eddie_ that she was cheating on me with Alex. I used to wonder what it was in him that she saw, what he had that I didn’t, but then I decided it didn’t matter. If she and I had worked out, I wouldn’t be here with _you_. And I told you, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. No one else I’d rather have this life with.”

Olivia hung her head. “I’m sorry, Rafa.”

Rafael pulled her close. “I should have explained to you a long time ago about my history with Yelina.”

“You had no reason to…we were just friends…and then all of the sudden we were more. It hasn’t even been a year and now we’re married with two kids and I’m six months pregnant with our third.”

Rafael tilted her head up and pressed a kiss to her lips. “The best almost year of my life. _Eeres el amor de mi vida,_ Olivia.”

“ _También eres el amor de mi vida,_ Rafael,” Olivia said when she pulled back, reaching up to cup his cheek in her hand. “I love you. So much.”

“I love you, too. _Siempre_. And for the record, _you_ are much more beautiful than Yelina could ever dream of being.”

Olivia beamed at him. “Are you just saying that because I’m carrying your child?” she teased.

Rafael smirked at her. “You’re _glowing_ , _mi amor_. The pregnancy only adds to your beauty.”

Olivia grinned, leaning over to kiss him before taking his hand and leading him toward their bedroom.

“Where are we going?” he asked with a laugh.

“I want an uninterrupted nap with my very complimentary husband.”

“I can’t guarantee it’s going to be uninterrupted.”

“Call Carmen, tell her to hold your calls for an hour.”

“What if the squad needs something?”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “ _Fine_. Tell Carmen to only allow calls from my squad through. Anything else can _wait_.”

“What about the kids’ school?”

“ _Rafael_.”

Rafael laughed as he dialed Carmen’s number. After giving her instructions to hold his calls unless it was either an emergency or from the squad, he joined Olivia in the bed and pulled her close.

* * *

“You picked last time!”

“You did!”

“It’s my turn!”

“Mine!”

Looking up from her laptop, Olivia saw her two children sitting on the couch taking turns grabbing the remote from each other. Lucy had asked if she could take a shower before dinner, as the water had been off at her place all day, and both she and Rafael had readily told her she was welcome to use the bathroom down the hall to freshen up. After sharing a look with Rafael, who was in the kitchen making _arroz con pollo_ , she stood and walked into the living room.

“What’s going on here?” she asked her children.

“Miranda got to pick the last show! Now it’s my turn!” Noah insisted.

“Did not!” Miranda argued.

Olivia held out her hand. “Remote.”

With a sigh, Noah handed his mother the remote.

“We have time for _one_ show before _Abuelita_ will be here. You have two minutes to decide on something together or neither of you will be watching _anything_.”

Noah sighed again and then looked over at Miranda. “Paw Patrol?” he suggested.

“Halloween?” Miranda asked.

Noah nodded and then turned back to Olivia. “The Halloween episode of Paw Patrol.”

“Good choice,” she told them, turning to the TV to switch on the episode they had chosen. Turning back to her children, she asked, “Are Eddie and Lovey watching?”

Miranda bit her lip as she looked over at her brother. She wanted Lovey, but she wanted to seem like a big girl, too.

“Eddie will be mad if he misses it,” Noah said. “It’s one of his favorites.”

“Go ahead. I’ll wait until you get back.”

Noah nodded, quickly running down the hall. He returned a few moments later with both Eddie and Lovey.

“Eddie didn’t want to watch the episode without Lovey,” Noah explained.

Olivia smiled at him and ran a hand over his hair before pressing _play_ on the remote and starting the episode. Instead of going back to her laptop, she walked into the kitchen.

“Crisis averted?” Rafael asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Just barely.”

“So, I talked to McCoy about the house.”

“And?”

“He said we could look at it this weekend, but he’s taking it off the market.”

“What?”

“He said it’s ours if we want it.”

“It’s a gorgeous house. Of course I want it. But we haven’t even talked to the bank yet. And how are we going to move with two little kids and me being pregnant?”

“We’ll figure it out,” Rafael promised. “Let’s look at it this weekend and go from there. McCoy said we could always rent it for a while first, if that’s easier.”

“Is he going to bet with Dodds if we move into the house or not?”

Rafael laughed. “I wouldn’t put it past either of them.”

* * *

“¡ _Abuelita_!” Noah and Miranda chorused when they saw their grandmother.

“ _Nietos_ ,” Lucia said with a smile as she knelt down to accept their hugs. When she noticed Eddie and Lovey, she looked between her grandchildren. “And how are _mis nietos animales_ doing?”

Miranda giggled as she hugged Lovey close.

“We just finished the Halloween episode of Paw Patrol,” Noah answered. “They want to go back to our rooms to play now, though.”

Lucia smiled and nodded, making sure to give each animal the proper attention before Noah and Miranda went to put them back in their rooms. Standing, she spotted a petite brunette talking to Olivia and Rafael in the dining room.

“ _Hola,_ Mami,” Rafael greeted, bending to press a kiss to her cheek before beginning the introductions. “This is Lucy Huston, she’s Noah and Miranda’s nanny. Lucy, this is my mother, Lucia Barba.”

“Ah, the famous _Abuelita_ ,” Lucy said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Lucia laughed as she hugged Lucy, not seeing the surprise on the younger woman’s face when she did so. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too. It’s nice to finally meet you, too.”

* * *

After dinner, Lucy and Lucia convinced Olivia and Rafael to relax in the living room with Miranda and Noah while they cleaned up.

“So you’ve been helping Olivia around the house as well?” Lucia asked.

Lucy nodded. “Here and there. She insists on doing what she can herself, but there have been a few times when Rafael has convinced her to make a list of what needs to be done and then conveniently left it where I would find it. I’m pretty sure she knows what he’s doing, but she hasn’t said anything.”

“Rafi tends to hover. I know he worries about her. About all of them.”

“He loves them, it’s only natural.”

“You’ve been taking care of Noah for a few years now?”

“Pretty much since Liv brought him home. She’s been great about working with my school schedule, too. I’m glad she and Rafael found each other.”

Lucia looked over at her son and daughter-in-law. They were sitting together on the couch, chatting with Miranda and Noah, who were busy building something.

“Me, too,” she agreed with a smile.

* * *

Stepping into the apartment he shared with Amanda and Jesse, Sonny was surprised to see both of them still awake. It was nearly an hour past the little girl’s bedtime.

“Papa!” Jesse shouted, running over to him.

“ _Piccola,_ what are you still doing awake?” he asked as he scooped her up into his arms.

“She refused to go to sleep without saying goodnight to you,” Amanda explained with a sigh.

“Jess, we talked about being good for Mommy,” Sonny said to his daughter.

Jesse laid her head on Sonny’s shoulder and gave him her best innocent look. “I missed you.”

Sonny pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I missed you, too, but Mommy and I talked to you about how sometimes one of us might have to work late so you won’t get to say goodnight to both of us, remember?”

Jesse sighed, but said nothing.

“You’ve always had the magic touch with her,” Amanda reminded him with a small smile as she watched their daughter close her eyes and snuggle closer to him.

Sonny leaned down to brush his lips with hers. “But she still needs to learn to go to bed when you tell her to. Especially when you need to go to bed, too.”

“I’m not even showing yet and you’re already hovering?”

Sonny chuckled, giving her another kiss.

“I do it out of love,” he said before walking down the hall to deposit Jesse in her bed. “ _Sogni d'oro, piccola_.”

* * *

“What did you say to Jesse?” Amanda asked as she climbed into bed and watched Sonny take off his suit.

“Sweet dreams,” Sonny answered with a shrug. “My mom used to say it to me all the time when I was little.”

Amanda smiled at him. “It’s sweet. Speaking of your mom, maybe she could take Jess one night soon and we could have a date night? We’re both off Saturday night…”

“My parents are out of town this weekend. I’m sorry, Manda.”

“It’s fine,” Amanda said with a shrug before lying down and pulling the blankets over her.

Sliding into bed beside her, Sonny reached over and pulled her into his arms. “We could ask Lucia. Jess likes her.”

“She’s already taking Noah and Miranda so Liv and Barba can have a quiet night to themselves.”

“Lucia _loves_ kids, Manda. Besides, Jess likes to play with Noah and Miranda.”

“But she’s been asking for her _nonna_.”

“I’ll call my mom tomorrow; see if she can take her a different night. I’m sure Erin would switch with one of us if needed.”

“You don’t need to do that…” Amanda started to say, cut off when Sonny placed a finger over her lips.

“You know my mom loves her and will jump at any opportunity to spoil her. It’s okay to lean on other people, Manda.”

Amanda nodded, not trusting her voice due to the tears in her eyes.

“Why are you crying?” Sonny asked, moving his hand to wipe away her tears.

“I don’t deserve you. I’ve screwed up so much of my life. What if I screw _us_ up? Jesse is already so attached…and so am I…but she’s not even technically yours and you’ve been there for her since the beginning, for both of us. Now I’m pregnant and we’re not even married yet…”

“As far as I’m concerned, Jesse _is_ my daughter. I think we both know that there’s more to family than just blood. Liv and Barba have two kids that aren’t biologically either of theirs and you don’t hear them referring to them as anything but their son and daughter. I’d marry you tomorrow if that’s what you wanted.”

“Maybe we could have a small ceremony? Before the baby is born…maybe before I start to show?” Amanda asked.

“Whatever you want, _amore mio_.”

“Does that include changing Jesse’s last name to Carisi?”

Sonny looked momentarily surprised. “I’d love for you _both_ to become Carisis.”

Amanda smiled a little and cuddled closer to Sonny. “Amanda Carisi does kind of have a nice ring to it.”

“It does,” Sonny agreed, hugging her close. “But only if you’re sure it’s what you want.”

“It is. For me _and_ Jesse.”

“Good. Now get some sleep. We both have to be at work early to meet with Liv and Barba about the case.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barson-family centric chapter, with a new character re-appearing ;) 
> 
> Special thanks to thousand_miles for being my sounding board for parts of this chapter. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Walking up to his mother’s house, Rafael held tight to a hand of each of his children. Olivia had gone into the precinct to meet with Fin about some cases and would be joining them later. But his mother had asked for his help cleaning out her second spare room so she could decorate it for Miranda, and he decided to bring both kids with him rather than ask Lucy or Amanda to watch them.

“Mami?” Rafael called as he briefly let go of Noah’s hand to open the door.

A few moments later, Lucia appeared from down the hall and walked over to pull him into a hug. “Rafi, you brought _mis nietos_.”

“ _Sí_. They’ve missed their _abuelita_ ,” he replied, bending to press a kiss to her cheek. “They have both promised to play nicely so we can get the room cleared out.”

“¿ _Donde esta tu esposa_?”

“Work. Fin is bringing her by later. They’re going over some stuff this morning.”

“ _Abuelita_ , do you have any _pastelitos_?” Noah asked, eliciting laughter from Lucia and Rafael.

“I do. I made some apple ones just for you and your dad, and some pineapple ones for Miranda and me,” Lucia replied, taking first his hand and then Miranda’s to lead them into the kitchen.

“What about Mommy?” Miranda asked.

“There’s a coconut one for her to have later if she wants.”

Miranda nodded, turning to Rafael for help getting into the kitchen island stool next to the one Noah was now occupying. Rafael complied, lifting his daughter onto the stool and then pressing a kiss to the top of her head before going to the fridge to get them all something to drink.

* * *

After brunch, Lucia turned on a movie while Rafael retrieved the kids’ backpacks.

“We’ll just be down the hall,” he told them. “Play nicely.”

Noah and Miranda nodded absently, their coloring supplies already spread out between them on the floor and a coloring book in front of each of them.

“Come on, _mijo_ , we have a lot of work to do,” Lucia said. “ _Mis nietos_ will be just fine.”

Rafael rolled his eyes, but followed his mother down the hall after one last look at his children.

* * *

A couple of hours later, after a short break to feed the kids a snack, Rafael was helping his mother to move more boxes when he came across one he didn’t remember seeing before. It didn’t have any writing on it, meaning it wasn’t from his grandmother’s apartment or from when they had cleared out Lucia’s other spare room for Noah a few months before. Lifting the lid, he found pictures of people he didn’t recognize.

“Mami, who are these people?” he asked, holding up a picture of a man holding a baby.

Lucia looked up from the box she’d been sorting through and then walked over to her son, taking the picture from him.

“I haven’t seen this picture in decades,” she commented. “This is you with your paternal grandfather. You were about six months here, I think.”

“I didn’t know I had ever met them.”

“You wouldn’t remember-you were too young.”

“What happened to them?”

“They died in a car accident about a year after this was taken. They were coming to visit us when they were hit by a driver going the wrong way down the highway. There were no survivors.”

“Oh.”

“Your father always blamed himself. If he hadn’t asked them to visit, if he had convinced them to move closer. It ate away at him,” Lucia said sadly. “I tried to get him to reach out to his siblings at least, but after the funeral, he wanted nothing to do with them or his extended family. Therapy wasn’t really accepted back then, so he internalized everything. Looking back, I guess that was the catalyst for his downhill slide.”

“It doesn’t excuse what he did to us.”

“I know, _mijo_. But I think it’s important that you know that he wasn’t always how you remember him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

Lucia sighed and shrugged. “I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with any kind of memories concerning your father.”

Rafael nodded his head. That was a fair point.

“I talked to _Abuelito_ and _Abuelita_ in a dream.” He revealed a few moments later.

“When?”

“A couple of weeks ago. _Abuelita_ said she met them. My paternal grandparents. She said they were good people.”

“They were. They loved you very much. You were their first grandchild.”

“I have cousins on that side?”

“At least one that I know of. After your grandparents died, your father cut us off from his family. They lived in upstate New York back then. There were some cousins of his in Miami, too, if I remember correctly. It’s been a long time, _mijo_.”

Rafael nodded again as he continued to look through the photos. “What were their names?”

“Carlito and Rosalyn. I think your grandmother’s maiden name was Perez. She and my father went to school together in Cuba I think.”

“I wish I could remember them.”

Lucia rubbed a hand up and down his back. “I know, _mijo_. I wish they had lived long enough for you to be able to. But if you want to find out more about them, I’ll help you however I can.”

“Even after everything that happened?” Rafael asked in surprise.

“ _Mijo_ , they are _tu familia_. Regardless of what happened between your father and me, of who he ended up becoming, your grandparents _were_ good people.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course. You can take the box home with you, look through it some more. If you want to, that is.”

Rafael nodded, wishing Olivia was here with him right now. “I’d like that.”

As if his thoughts had conjured her, Rafael heard the excited voices of his children greeting their mother. Lucia had given both him and Olivia keys to her house with specific instructions that they were always welcome.

“I’ll set this one aside for you,” Lucia said to her son. “You go greet your wife.”

Rafael smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek before walking out to the living room to do as she suggested.

* * *

“Everything okay?” Olivia asked as she hugged Rafael in greeting and noticed the unsure look on his face.

“I’ll tell you later. Mami and I are just finishing up in Miranda’s room.”

“My room?” Miranda asked, hearing her name.

“ _Sí, mija_ , your room,” Rafael answered. “ _Abuelita_ is clearing out her other spare room for you. So you will have your own room when you stay with her.”

“Like Noah?”

“Yes. Like Noah.”

“Dad, I’m hungry,” Noah said from his spot next to Miranda.

“ _Abuelita_ is going to start dinner soon.”

“But I’m hungry _now_.”

Rafael chuckled. “Let me see what _Abuelita_ has in the fridge.”

* * *

After putting some fruit in a bowl and giving it to the kids to share, Rafael led Olivia back to the spare room Lucia was still busy cleaning.

“This quilt is beautiful,” Olivia commented, running her hand over the blanket on top of a nearby box.

Rafael’s eyes lit up as he recognized it. “ _Abuelita_ made that. It was always on the back of her couch.”

After exchanging a look with Lucia, Olivia put her hand on Rafael’s arm. “Now we’ll put it on the back of ours.”

Rafael looked up at his mother, who nodded. “It’s yours, Rafi,” she said.

Pulling Olivia into his side, Rafael buried his face in her hair for a moment. It had been a more emotional day than he’d anticipated.

“I’m going to go start our food,” Lucia told them before walking out of the room.

“Rafa, what’s going on?” Olivia asked once Lucia had left.

Rafael sighed. “You remember that dream I had where I talked to my grandparents?”

Olivia nodded, prompting Rafael to continue.

“My _abuelita_ mentioned my other grandparents. I didn’t think anything of it until I came across this box,” he said, indicating the box that the quilt was sitting on top of. “There’re pictures and other things of theirs in there.”

“Wow.”

“Mami said she’d help me look into that side of my family. My father had siblings that lived upstate I guess. I might have cousins out there somewhere.”

“We can work on it tonight after the kids are in bed.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to her temple. “You need your rest, too, Livia.”

“I’m plenty rested. Although I think you should say hello to your daughter before she decided to kick me half-way through dinner again.”

Rafael chuckled as he lifted a hand and laid it on Olivia’s stomach. “ _Hola, niñita_. Thank you for being good for your mami this morning. You can practice your kicking after dinner.”

Olivia smiled as she wrapped an arm around Rafael’s waist and placed other her hand on top of his. “I think she likes your voice.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm. Hopefully soon you’ll be able to feel her kick.”

“I can’t wait.”

Olivia laughed. “You’re not the one having their insides kicked.”

“You love it.”

“I kind of do. It’s…reassuring in a way. That she’s okay.”

“Livia.”

“I know the doctor said everything is fine, but I still worry.”

“Stress isn’t good for you _or_ Catalina.”

“Then let’s go spend some time with Noah and Miranda before dinner. I missed all of you.”

“We missed you, too.”

* * *

When he, Olivia, and the kids returned home that night, Rafael placed his grandmother’s quilt on the back of the couch. When Miranda had asked about his grandmother, he grabbed the photo of his grandparents that sat on the table next to the couch and pointed her out. He briefly wondered how much Catalina would look like her namesake.

“Did she have dark hair like you and _abuelita_?” Noah asked.

“Yes. When she was younger, she kept it long like Miranda.”

“Your _abuelito_ had curly hair?”

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Yes. He usually kept it pretty short, though.”

“Will you tell us a story about them?”

“After your baths,” Olivia answered. “It’s Miranda’s turn in the big bath tub tonight.”

The little girl cheered and then rushed down the hall to her room.

“I’ll take care of her,” Rafael said, standing and placing the picture back on the table. “You spend some time with Noah.”

Olivia smiled gratefully at him and then scooted closer to their son.

“Can I read to you?” Noah asked.

“Of course. What are we reading tonight?”

“ _If You Give a Pig a Pancake_ ,” Noah replied, showing her the book he had grabbed earlier.

Olivia tickled his side. “You just want to read about pancakes because you love them so much.”

Noah laughed. “They’re good! Dad promised he’d make them tomorrow, too!”

“I guess we’d better read about them to prepare, then.”

* * *

A short while later, Olivia heard the sound of little feet pounding on the floor. Looking over, she saw Miranda running down the hall.

“Where’s Daddy?” Olivia asked as the little girl climbed up onto the couch.

“Waiting for Noah.”

Olivia doubted that answer, but said nothing to her. Turning her son, she pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “Can you sit here with your sister for a minute? I’m going to go check on your dad.”

Noah nodded. When Miranda spotted the book in his hands, she pointed at the cover. “Pancake!”

* * *

Walking into the bedroom she shared with Rafael, Olivia saw the door to the bathroom was open. The floor was soaked, as was Rafael.

“What happened?” she asked, leaning against the door frame.

“We may have had a water fight that got out of hand,” Rafael confessed, eliciting laughter from Olivia.

“ _May_?” she repeated.

Rafael shrugged. “She was having fun.”

Olivia smiled at him. “You know, back when we first met, I never thought we’d end up here. That I’d see you in a soaking wet t-shirt because you didn’t want to deny our daughter a bit of fun during bath time.”

“And now that we are?” Rafael asked as he grabbed another towel and wiped down the side of the tub.

“I wouldn’t change a thing. I love that you let yourself completely relax around me and the kids, and your mom, of course. Rafael Barba is unstoppable in the court room, but I love at-home Rafa more I think.”

Rafael rolled his eyes at her. “I don’t know about unstoppable, but I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

“Your mom is watching the kids after brunch tomorrow, right?”

“Yes. I told Jack we’d meet him at the house around one.”

“Maybe we should take the kids with us.”

Rafael looked over at her as he threw another wet towel into the laundry hamper. “Everything okay, _mi vida_?”

Olivia waved a hand in front of her eyes, which were now shimmering with tears. Everything seemed to make her emotional lately and she hated it.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Rafael asked, walking over and wrapping his arms around her.

“I just feel like I’ve hardly seen them this week and this is going to be their possible house, too, and they should be able to have an opinion about it. It’s a big change. Moving. I keep thinking about it and then my mind just goes to how are we going to manage it with me being six months pregnant plus two little kids. And how far is it from the hospital and how much baby-proofing will we have to do and can we actually afford it and a million other thoughts.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to her temple. “Livia, _mi alma_ , if you want to bring the kids with tomorrow, we can absolutely do that. My mom would probably love to see the house, too. Jack said if we want the house, it’s ours. We could even rent it at first if that’s more financially feasible. As for moving, I promise we will figure it out. Fin and Carisi can help. We could probably even rope Jack and Dodds into helping us. Erin, Lucy, and Rita can help, too. My mom can take the kids for a day or two. Just trust me, okay?”

“You know I do.”

Rafael framed her face with his hands and then leaned over to capture her lips with his in a deep kiss. “I love you. I’m _always_ going to be here for you and the kids. Whatever any of you need, I’ll do everything I can to make it happen. Okay?”

Olivia nodded. “I love you, too,” she said before resting her head on his shoulder.

* * *

The next day, Olivia walked into the house Jack was offering to her and Rafael and immediately got an image in her head of Rafael in the kitchen, joking around with her and their kids as he cooked one of his _abuelita_ ’s recipes. Looking over to the living room, she could see them all sitting together, cuddling and watching a movie. She could see her and Rafael relaxing together on the couch while the kids played on their floor.

“Livia?”

Turning her head, her brown eyes met her husband’s concerned green ones.

“Happy thoughts,” she assured him with a smile, walking over to him and sliding an arm around his waist.

He gave her a brief kiss before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leading her further into the house. She could hear the sounds of Lucia and the kids asking Jack a million questions.

“Are you teaching your children how to interrogate people?” the older man joked as they approached.

“What does inter-ro-gate mean?” Noah asked.

“I think Mr. McCoy just wasn’t expecting so many questions at once,” Olivia explained.

“I prefer to only be Mr. McCoy at work,” Jack said.

Noah tilted his head to side, reminding Lucia, Jack, and Olivia of Rafael. “What do we call you then?”

“Jack is fine.”

Noah didn’t seem satisfied with that answer, so he looked up at his father for help.

“How about _Uncle_ Jack?” Rafael suggested, looking between his son and his friend.

Noah was silent for a few moments as he contemplated his father’s suggestion. Then he shrugged and said, “Okay.”

“I guess that’s settled, then,” Lucia observed with a smile. “Shall we continue the house tour?”

* * *

“So, what do you think?” Rafael asked his wife as they stood in the master bedroom, arms still around each other.

“I love it,” Olivia answered. “It’s perfect. I could see us living here the moment I walked in the door.”

“Ah, the happy thoughts.”

Olivia smiled at him before she leaned over to give him a quick kiss. “Yes, _mi amor_. The happy thoughts.”

“Let’s go talk to Jack, then.”

* * *

After going over the details of the house purchase with Jack, Rafael and Olivia took their children home. Lucia offered to return with them and cook dinner, to which neither of them objected. The kids were excited to have more time with their _abuelita_ as well.

“Livy, _mija_ , you should relax,” Lucia said while Rafael attempted to get the kids to agree on a movie.

“They’ve been fighting so much lately,” Olivia replied, looking over at Noah and Miranda.

“ _Querida_ , they’re siblings. It’s what they do, trust me. My siblings and I have had plenty of fights over the years but I still love them.”

Olivia nodded. “I’m going to go lie down, I think.”

“You go ahead. I’m sure Rafi will be in to check on you before long.”

Olivia smiled at that. “I’m sure he will,” she agreed.

* * *

A short while after she had laid down, Olivia heard the sound of the door open. Assuming it was just Rafael, she didn’t look up. When she felt the bed dip, she opened her eyes and was surprised to see her daughter lying next to her, Lovey held tightly in her arms, and looking at her with sleepy eyes.

“Come here, sweet girl,” Olivia said, gathering her daughter in her arms and cuddling her close.

“Daddy said it was naptime.”

“You didn’t want to nap in your own bed?”

Miranda shook her head.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

Miranda nodded this time, tears forming in her eyes.

“It’s okay, sweet girl,” Olivia soothed, running a hand over the little girl’s hair. The girl still had moments of insecurity and loneliness. “Remember you’re Daddy’s and my little girl now. You, me, Noah, and Daddy, we belong together.”

“ _Abuelita_ too?”

Olivia smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Miranda’s head. “Yes, _abuelita_ , too.”

“Love you, Mommy.”

“Love you, too, sweet girl.”

* * *

Walking into Miranda’s room to check on her, Rafael frowned when he didn’t see her in the bed where he’d left her. She hadn’t come back out to the living room, so she must have gone to find Olivia. Venturing further down the hall, he quietly opened the door to the bedroom he shared with his wife. He opened his mouth to remind Miranda to let her mother rest, but closed it and smiled when he saw both of his girls cuddled together, fast asleep. After watching them for another few moments, he quietly closed the door and went back out to the living room.

* * *

“¿ _Revisaste a_ _tus chicas_?” Lucia asked when Rafael returned to the kitchen.

“ _Sí. Ellas estan durmiendo_ ,” Rafael answered. “What are you making?”

Lucia held up a small notebook that Rafael immediately recognized.

“You found _abuelita_ ’s cookbook?” he asked, reaching for the item in question. “I’ve been thinking about her _frijoles por dias_.”

Lucia laughed at her son’s enthusiasm. “You know, if you had brought Livy home sooner, she probably would have given you the recipe right then and there.”

Rafael rolled his eyes, but smiled and nodded. “Are you sure she wouldn’t have been frozen in shock?”

Lucia picked up an empty cardboard box and playfully hit her son on the arm with it, making him laugh. “ _Ve a jugar con tu hijo_.”

Rafael leaned down to press a kiss to her cheek. “ _Te amo,_ Mami.”

Lucia smiled and patted his cheek before pointing to the living room. “ _Vamos_ , Rafi.”

* * *

When he walked into the living room, Rafael saw Noah absently sorting through his Lego blocks. Taking a seat on the floor beside him, he pulled the boy into his lap and hugged him close.

“Love you, _mijo_ ,” he said, pressing a kiss to the side of the boy’s head.

Noah returned the hug, content to let his father hold him for a little while.

“What are you building?” Rafael asked a few moments later.

Noah showed him a packet of papers. “Mom printed these out. We found them on Pinterest. I wanted to make my own Halloween Lego scene.”

Rafael looked through the papers and then back down at the Lego blocks on the floor before pointing to the picture of the jack-o-lantern. “How about this one?”

Noah nodded, quickly grabbing some Lego blocks while Rafael read over the instructions.

* * *

The next day, after mass and brunch with her family, Lucia walked into a nearby park to meet Javier. They had sent a few texts back and forth since the day they had run into each other in the courthouse, and even talked on the phone a couple of times, but this was the first time they would be spending any time together in person in a long time.

“Lucia.”

Turning, she smiled when she saw Javier waiting for her. Walking over to him, she took the cup of coffee he held out to her.

“Do you live here in the city?” Lucia asked.

“Queens. I have an apartment near Marisol and Carlos’ house. What about you?”

“I have a house in Brooklyn. Rafi lives in Manhattan, so I’m there quite often as well.”

“The prosecutor in my friend’s case said he has a reputation for taking cases no one else will touch…and winning them.”

“That’s my Rafi,” Lucia said proudly. “He, Olivia, and her squad make quite the team.”

“She works for NYPD?” Javier asked.

Lucia nodded. “She’s the lieutenant for Manhattan SVU.”

“Rafael met his match?”

Lucia laughed. “Oh, yes.”

After a few moments of silence as they walked, Javier asked his next question. “Can I ask what happened between you and Dante?”

At the mention of Rafael’s father, Lucia stiffened a little. “Things were great at first, and he was so excited when Rafi was born. Then his parents died and he suffered some setbacks at work. Turned to alcohol instead of trying to deal with his feelings. He…was abusive. Toward me _and_ Rafi. I tried to leave, more than once, but it never worked out for one reason or another that’s no longer important. Finally, Mama put her foot down and got Rafi and me out. He died over ten years ago. He gave me Rafi, Javier. I love my son and my family more than _anything_.”

Javier nodded. “It sounds like you and your parents raised him right.”

“We did our best. They’ve both passed on now, but both Mama’s engagement ring and both of their wedding bands went to Rafi and Olivia. Which is what they wanted.”

“They never met Olivia?”

Lucia shook her head. “No. Papi passed before Rafi met her. Mama knew about her, but never got the chance to meet her. Rafi and Olivia were simply friends back then. At least that’s what they told everyone.”

Javier laughed. “You didn’t believe him?”

“Not for a minute. Neither did Mama. We both knew the minute he started talking about her and saying how she drove him a little crazy that she was more than just his friend.”

“So Rafael is a lawyer and Olivia is a police lieutenant, but what do _you_ do?”

“I’m the principal for a charter school in Brooklyn. St. Theresa’s. It’s a lot of work sometimes, but I love it. I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” Lucia answered. “What about you?”

“I’m a structural engineer at Mason Engineering.”

“Wow.”

“That’s what Gloria thought at first, too.”

“Now it’s my turn to ask if it’s okay to ask what happened between you and Gloria.”

Javier gave her a small smile. “We drifted apart. I worked a lot. She got tired of, in her words, being stuck with the kids all the time. She ran off to Colorado when Laura was about four. Haven’t heard from her since except for when she filed for divorce.”

Lucia laid a hand on Javier’s arm. “I’m sorry.”

“It is what it is. Luckily, my boss at the time was very understanding and allowed me to work from home as much as I needed to.”

“Did you ever…remarry?”

“No. Between the kids and work, I didn’t really have the energy to try and date anyone. I thought about you, though, and about what might have happened if we hadn’t broken up.”

Lucia shrugged. “Who knows? But I got Rafi out of it and I don’t regret having him. Not for one second.”

“I understand,” Javier assured her. “I wouldn’t trade any of my kids for anything, but sometimes I used to wonder what they’d be like if they were _our_ kids instead of mine and Gloria’s.”

“Javier…”

“I’m sorry. I know that’s a lot to process. Especially considering this is the first real conversation we’ve had in a while.”

Lucia looked up at the sky for a moment before turning back to Javier. “As long as this isn’t our _last_ real conversation, I won’t worry about it.”

Javier couldn’t hide his surprise, making Lucia laugh. “You always were easy to talk to…and I don’t have many friends in my life who knew me before I had Rafael.”

“Maybe we could get lunch sometime soon?” Javier asked.

“I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone catch the other fanfic referenced in this chapter? ;)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my fellow Barson people on Twitter for helping me with Lucia's nickname and for being there for me during my not so great weekend.

Walking through the zoo with his son and two of his grandchildren, Javier saw a brightly colored blur run past him, followed by a shout of “Miranda!”. Reaching an arm out, he caught the blur, who turned out to be a brown-haired girl dressed in jeans and a bright yellow top, by the waist.

“Where are you trying to get to so fast, _chiquita_?” he asked with a laugh.

Miranda tilted her head to the side to study his face. “ _Pingüinos_ ,” she answered a few moments later.

Before either could say anything else, Javier saw another figure approach and scoop the little girl up into his arms. “ _Mija_ , we talked about running away from Mommy and Daddy.”

“I’m sorry,” Miranda said, laying her head on his shoulder.

Javier stood as the figure laughed, recognition setting in as soon as he got a good look at him. “Rafael?” he asked.

Turning his head at the sound of his name, Rafael smiled a little. “Yes. You’re Javier, right?”

Javier nodded. “Yes. You have quite a feisty one, there.”

Rafael chuckled, turning his head to press a kiss to his daughter’s forehead. “She keeps us on our toes. But we love her.”

“Rafa, did you find Miranda?” a new voice cut in.

“I’ve got her,” Rafael answered.

Javier saw a woman and a young boy approach, who he guessed were the daughter-in-law and grandson that Lucia had told him about.

“Livia, Noah, Miranda, this is Mami’s old friend, Javier Santos,” Rafael introduced. “Javier, this is my wife, Olivia, and our children, Noah and Miranda.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Javier said with a smile.

“Thank you for catching this one,” Rafael said, indicating Miranda. “She can get very determined sometimes.”

“My Marisol was like that as a child. She’s a doctor now, so I guess it served her well.”

“I want to see the penguins, Daddy,” Miranda insisted.

“In a minute, _mija_.”

Javier smiled at the younger man. “Enjoy the day with your family, Rafael. It was nice to see you again.”

Rafael nodded, settling Miranda on his hip and then reaching for Noah’s free hand. Javier didn’t miss the way father and son smiled at each other and then the way Rafael and Olivia shared a smile before they all walked away. He could see Lucia’s influence in her son and it warmed his heart.

“Papi, is everything okay?” Jose asked as he, Julia, and Miguel approached. “Who was that you were talking to?”

“Lucia’s son and his family. His daughter ran ahead of them and I caught her before she got too far,” Javier answered.

“Sounds like Carolina,” he said, referring to Marisol’s daughter.

Javier chuckled and nodded before following his own family to their next chosen exhibit.

* * *

“ _Abuelita_ , we saw your friend yesterday,” Miranda announced when she saw her grandmother.

“My friend?” Lucia asked, looking over at her son.

“Javier,” Rafael answered as he raised an eyebrow at his daughter. “ _Mija,_ I think you’re leaving out the part about _why_ we saw him.”

Miranda tilted her head in confusion. “I wanted to see penguins.”

“ _Nieta_ , did you run off again?” Lucia asked.

“I wanted to see penguins,” Miranda repeated, standing and walking over to Rafael, who immediately lifted her into his arms.

“ _Querida_ , you can’t just run off like that.”

Miranda laid her head on Rafael’s shoulder and gave her grandmother her best innocent look. “I said sorry.”

Lucia couldn’t help but laugh. Rafael had apologized to her much the same way many times when he was growing up. She ran a hand over her granddaughter’s hair and spoke softly. “I know, _nieta_ , but you scare your mommy and daddy when you run off like that.”

Miranda cuddled closer to Rafael as she nodded.

“ _Encantadora_ ,” Lucia said with a laugh. “Clearly you’ve been spending a lot of time with your daddy.”

Miranda smiled at her grandmother and nodded. “Mommy and Noah, too.”

“Speaking of them, where are they?”

“Liv is sleeping and Noah is working on his latest Lego creation.”

“Time for Mommy to wake up?” Miranda asked.

“Not quite yet, _mija_.”

* * *

“ _Hola_ , _nieto_ ,” Lucia greeted as she walked into the living room.

“ _Hola, abeulita_ ,” Noah replied distractedly.

“What do you say you save Lego creating for later and come be my sous chef?”

Noah’s eyes lit up as he nodded. “Yes!”

Lucia held out her hand, smiling when Noah jumped up and took it. “What are we making?”

“I was thinking pancakes. Your dad says that you’re the best pancake sous chef there is.”

Noah nodded excitedly. “I love pancakes.”

“More than _pastelitos_?” Lucia teased.

Noah thought for a moment while they walked into the kitchen. “I love them both the same.”

Lucia smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head. She opened a nearby cabinet where she knew the aprons to be and handed the smaller one to her grandson. “What kind of pancakes are we making?”

“Blueberry, ‘cause they’re Mom’s favorite.”

“That’s very sweet of you.”

“She’s been tired a lot lately.”

“Has she?”

Noah nodded. “I wish I could help more.”

“Your dad says that you’re a big help. I heard you two taught Miranda how to build a proper tower with her blocks.”

“Yeah! Mom helped, too, when she woke up from her nap.”

“You also helped set the table for dinner every night this week.”

Noah nodded again. “Dad says I’m good at it.”

Lucia ran a hand over his hair. “I’m sure you are, _nieto_. Now, let’s start on those pancakes. What else should we make?”

“There’s fruit in the fridge that Mom likes. Dad makes her tea in the morning, too, but I don’t know how to do that.”

“It’s good that you know she likes to have it, though. I’ll have to have your dad show me how to make it.”

“Are we going to have brunch here every Sunday now?”

“I’m not sure. Most likely. It’s easiest for your mom.”

“Can I help you every Sunday we have brunch here?”

Lucia smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.”

* * *

“Okay, _mija_ ,” Rafael said to his daughter as he walked towards the stairs. “It’s time for you to get dressed.”

“Already dressed, Daddy.”

Rafael laughed, turning his head to press a kiss to her forehead. “I mean in daytime clothes, not pajamas.”

“I like my jammies.”

“I know. But you can’t wear them all day.”

Miranda pouted, eliciting another laugh from Rafael.

“Nice try, _mija_.”

“You’ll read to me?”

“Sure. _After_ you get dressed.”

Miranda sighed. She wasn’t going to win today.

“What do you want to wear today?” Rafael asked as he deposited her on her bed.

“Same color as Mommy.”

Rafael nodded, taking out a shirt and Miranda’s favorite black leggings. “Purple it is, then.”

* * *

“Mommy!”

At his daughter’s excited shout, Rafael turned to see Olivia leaning against the door frame and watching them with a smile on her face.

“I see we match again today,” she said to Miranda, who nodded enthusiastically.

“Mami is here,” Rafael told his wife. “She commandeered our son into being her sous chef.”

“Somehow I doubt he needed to be commandeered.”

“Read now?” Miranda asked her father.

“I think you’re still missing something,” Rafael replied, eyeing her bare feet.

Miranda sighed and then picked up the socks Rafael had placed on the bed. Sitting on the floor, she put them on and then stood and walked over to her bookshelf. She chose two books and then turned to her parents. “Read _now_?”

Olivia’s smile grew as she watched Rafael walk over to Miranda and pick her up, placing a loud kiss on her cheek and making her giggle. Walking over to the two of them, she tickled Miranda’s side, making the little girl giggle again.

“I thought you were supposed to be _my_ little girl?” she teased.

Miranda laid her head on Rafael’s shoulder as she smiled at her mother. “Daddy’s today.”

“I suppose I can share.”

Rafael leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. “You know we love you.”

“I know.”

* * *

When she, Rafael, and Miranda arrived downstairs, Olivia wandered into the kitchen.

“Whatever you’re making smells delicious,” she said.

“Pancakes!” Noah said excitedly.

“Now I know why _abuelita_ wanted your help so much.”

Noah grinned at her. “ _Abuelita_ said I can _always_ help her make pancakes!”

“ _Hola, mija_ ,” Lucia greeted with a smile as she placed a pancake on a nearby plate. “I cut up some fruit; it’s on a plate in the fridge. Rafi said you were sleeping, so I thought I would keep it cold for you.”

“Between you and Rafa, I think I’m thoroughly spoiled,” Olivia joked as she opened the fridge and took out the plate of fruit. When she spotted the new container of orange juice, she grabbed that as well and looked back over at her mother-in-law. “Rafa told you we were out?”

Lucia smiled at her and nodded. “I needed to stop and get some things for this morning, so I thought I would pick it up. Catie likes it, I hear.”

“She does,” Olivia confirmed, resting a hand on her stomach.

“How are you feeling?”

“Good. Tired a lot. But good.”

“ _Nieto_ , I think it’s time for you to wash up and then you can set the table,” Lucia said to Noah, who nodded and quickly ran off to the nearby bathroom.

“So, I met Javier yesterday,” Olivia said. “He’s very handsome.”

Lucia rolled her eyes, reminding Olivia of Rafael. “Rafi already wants to question him like a witness in court, I’m sure.”

Olivia laughed. “Most likely.”

“He’s a good friend. We’ve had coffee together a couple of times.”

“How do you know him?”

“We were high school sweethearts. We broke up during his first year in college.”

“Maybe we can get lunch sometime this week and you can tell me more?” Olivia suggested.

Lucia smiled and nodded. “It _has_ been too long since we’ve been able to have lunch just the two of us.”

* * *

After brunch, Olivia and Rafael decided to take the kids to the park to burn off some of their energy and invited Lucia to go with them.

“I’m supposed to meet Javier in a half an hour…” she said somewhat cautiously.

Rafael raised an eyebrow at his mother. “Really.”

“Rafi, please.”

“Javier has grandchildren, right?” Olivia asked.

“Yes…why?”

“The kids really want you to come with us, so maybe he could meet you at their favorite park? I think he would understand the venue change, seeing as he has grandkids of his own.”

“I’ll ask,” Lucia said, taking out her phone and sending a message to Javier.

* * *

Walking up to the spot Lucia had indicated in her message, Javier saw her talking to her grandchildren. Looking around, he saw Rafael and Olivia sitting together on a nearby bench. Rafael had an arm around Olivia’s shoulders and their heads were bent close to each other. A few moments later, Rafael pressed a kiss to her cheek and stood before walking over to his mother.

“Mami, Javier is here,” Rafael said as he walked up to her and the kids.

“ _Abuelita_ leaving?” Miranda asked sadly.

“I’ll see you soon, _nieta_ ,” Lucia promised.

Noah slid off of his swing and walked over to hug his grandmother, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I had fun helping you this morning.”

Lucia ran a hand over his hair and pressed a kiss to his head. “I had fun, too, _nieto_.”

“ _Te amo,_ Mami,” Rafael said, taking his turn hugging his mother.

“ _Te amo_ , Rafi,” Lucia replied, reaching up to pat his cheek before walking over to where Javier stood.

* * *

“Are you okay?” Javier asked when he saw Lucia approaching with tears in her eyes.

Lucia nodded. “I was just thinking about this morning.”

“What happened?”

“Liv and I were talking about the baby, and well, they’re naming her after Mama. It just made me wish she was here. She’d be so proud of Rafi.”

Javier wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. “I’m sure she’s keeping a close eye on things from Heaven, just like she did when she was alive.”

Lucia smiled a little and nodded as they began to walk. “How were Carolina and Juan this morning?”

“It was just Juan this weekend. Carolina was at a sleepover. But he’s good. We went out for breakfast before I dropped him off.”

“I heard you caught my granddaughter yesterday.”

Javier chuckled. “She’s a fast little thing.”

“She is. She’s grown so much since Rafi and Liv took her in.”

“She’s adopted?”

Lucia nodded. “Both Noah and Miranda are. This baby is their first biological child.”

“They plan to have more?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think it’s completely off the table, but they just moved into their new home and Miranda has only been with them for a few months, plus the baby will be born in about two and a half months, so I don’t think it’s something they would seriously consider for a while yet.”

“Your grandchildren clearly adore you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” Lucia replied with a smile. “You’ve done research into your family tree, right?”

Javier nodded. “Yes. I’m in the process of researching my maternal grandmother’s side now, why do you ask?”

“I know Dante was not your favorite person, but when I was clearing out my other spare room for Miranda, Rafi and I came across some things of Dante’s. Some pictures and other miscellaneous items. I promised Rafi I would help him find out more about that side of his family, but I have no idea where to even begin.”

“You want my help?”

“If you don’t mind?”

“Of course not. Anything for you, Cia. You know that.”

* * *

“So, tell me more about Javier, I’m _dying_ to know,” Olivia said once she and Lucia had placed their orders.

“We dated in high school, like I told you. He went off to college upstate and I stayed here. I took some classes at the local community college, but then I met Dante, Rafi’s father. We dated for a couple of years and then got married. Shortly thereafter, I found out I was expecting Rafi. Javier and I sort of lost touch during that time, we only saw each other at reunions and things of that nature. He married, had children, and then got busy raising them. I was trying to save my marriage and protect my son. Then I was focused on raising Rafi and going back to school.”

“So you two ran into each other at the courthouse?”

“Yes. I was on my way to see Rafi, he was there supporting a friend. We’ve gotten together for coffee and lunch a few times since.”

“Luci, do you still love him?”

“I’m still getting to know who he is now, but…” Lucia trailed off.

“ _Su alma gemela_?”

Lucia sighed. “ _Posible_.”

“Are you worried about how he and Rafa will get along?”

“A little. Javi has gotten pretty good at genealogy over the years and I promised Rafi that I would help him find out more about his father’s side of the family. I thought maybe Javi could help us.”

“Javi?” Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow at her mother-in-law.

Lucia smiled and shrugged. “It’s what everyone used to call him.”

“He seemed nice from the few seconds we spent with him.”

“He is. He was my best friend when we were younger.”

Olivia smiled. “I know all about falling in love with your best friend.”

“Maybe you and Rafi could come over for dinner and meet him properly?”

“I’ll talk to Rafa, and I’ll have to see when Lucy is free.”

“Let me know when Lucy is free and I’ll talk to Javi.”

* * *

The night of the dinner with Lucia and Javier, Lucy called and said she’d been sick all day and didn’t want to risk getting either of the kids sick as well.

“Mami,” Rafael said when his mother picked up his call.

“Rafi? Is everything okay?”

“Lucy is sick, so we don’t have anyone to watch the kids.”

“Bring them. There’s plenty of food.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Javi agrees.”

Rafael frowned a little at the use of the nickname, but decided to ignore it for now. “Okay. We need to pack their backpacks, so it might be a little later than we planned.”

“That’s fine.”

“Okay, we’ll see you soon.”

“We’re going to _abuelita’s_?” Noah asked, having overheard the conversation.

“Looks like it. Let’s get your things into your backpack.”

“I can do it.”

“Another time.”

“I can do it,” Noah repeated.

“Noah. _Por favor_. Don’t argue with me right now.”

“Next time can I?”

“Next time. I promise. For now…why don’t you gather what you want to bring, okay?”

“Can I have a hug?”

“Of course,” Rafael said, leaning down to give his son a quick hug.

* * *

“ _¡Abuelita!_ ”

Lucia turned to see Miranda running toward her, only to be caught around the waist by Rafael.

“ _Mija_ ,” he said firmly as he turned her in his arms. “What did we just talk about?”

Miranda sighed. “No running.”

“And what did you just do?”

Miranda blinked innocently at him. “Saw _abuelita_?”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at her in response, causing her to sigh. “No more running off without permission, okay? We don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Miranda’s eyes widened, but she nodded.

“Good girl,” Rafael said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

* * *

While Rafael and Miranda talked, Olivia and Noah greeted Lucia and were re-introduced to Javier.

“How old are you, _chiquito_?” Javier asked Noah.

“Five. _Soy un tiburón_ ,” Noah answered, eliciting laughter from Olivia and Lucia at Javier’s confused look.

“In his swimming class,” Olivia explained. “He’s very proud of it.”

“As he should be,” Javier agreed, earning him a grin from Noah. “You’re learning Spanish, then, I take it?”

Noah nodded. “Mom, Dad, and _Abuelita_ speak Spanish. They’re teaching me. I learned some at school, too.”

* * *

After finishing his talk with Miranda, Rafael carried her over to his mother, who took the little girl into her arms and cuddled her close.

“I missed you, _nieta_ ,” Lucia said, pressing a kiss to her head before turning to Rafael. “Rafi, you remember Javier?”

Rafael shook the older man’s hand as he nodded. “Thank you again for catching our little runaway that day at the zoo.”

“She’s fast.”

“Don’t I know it. But that habit is what brought her into our lives, so I can’t be _that_ mad at her.”

“Dad, I’m hungry,” Noah said, tugging on Rafael’s hand, stopping either man from saying anything else.

“I’m sure _abuelita_ has food ready,” Rafael told him. “Why don’t you go put your backpack in the living room while I find out?”

Noah nodded, and then turned to his sister. “Miranda, come with me.”

As soon as she was set back on her feet, Miranda followed her brother contentedly. When they returned to the kitchen, Rafael helped them each into a chair and put food on plates for them.

* * *

After dinner, as the kids watched a movie in the living room, the four adults sat around the table and talked. They had been talking about a half an hour when Olivia placed a hand on her stomach and winced.

“You okay?” Rafael asked her.

Olivia attempted to nod, but ended up conceding that she wasn’t with a shake of her head. “That didn’t feel like a normal kick.”

“You take her in,” Lucia told her son. “Javi and I will watch the kids. They have clothes here if needed.”

Rafael nodded, helping Olivia up and carefully leading her out to their car.

“I’m sorry,” Lucia said to Javier. “This night isn’t turning out at all like I’d planned.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Javier told her. When he saw her pick up her phone and start scrolling through her contacts, he gave her a confused look. “Who are you calling?”

“Fin. Olivia’s second-in-command. He’s also a good friend of Rafi and Liv’s. Rafi said to call him if anything were to happen with Liv.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Sandra and Hasbleidy for letting me pester them with Spanish questions, and to Karen for helping me come up with the nickname for Lucia in this chapter. I tried to include some pepper for BaGi14, but I love happy, domestic Barson so much so there's not a lot of it. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

While she and Rafael waited for Dr. Monroe, Olivia gripped his hand tightly.

“You need to relax, _mi amor_ ,” Rafael told her, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I’m sure Catie is fine.”

“The kids are okay with your mom and Javier?” Olivia checked.

Rafael nodded, taking out his phone to show her the picture his mother had just sent him. The kids and Javier were playing with a set of Lincoln Logs that Lucia had found a few weeks prior, and Lovey and Eddie were sitting on the couch observing.

“Will you send that to me?”

“Of course,” Rafael replied, quickly doing as she requested.

* * *

A short while later, after an ultrasound to check on the baby, Olivia felt she could relax a little. There were no signs of anything abnormal and her heartbeat was strong.

“Your blood pressure is a little higher than I’d like,” Dr. Monroe said. “But I think part of that has to do with being concerned about the baby. I’m not sure what caused your pain, but if it happens again, I want you to call me right away and come to the ER like you did tonight. I also want you to take it easy for the rest of your pregnancy. I can give you a note for your boss if necessary. If you’re able to work from home, I would recommend doing that as often as possible. Make sure your stress level is kept as low as possible as well. Baby is not in any danger. I want to take your blood pressure again in about a half an hour. If it’s gone down enough, you can go home. If not, I will want to keep you here longer. I want you to monitor your blood pressure at home, too.”

“I think a note explaining Olivia’s restrictions would be helpful,” Rafael told her, knowing his wife would need a minute to gather her thoughts.

“I’ll get that for you while we wait,” Dr. Monroe replied before turning back to her patient. “Olivia, I promise you there is _nothing_ to worry about with the baby. Just try to relax.”

Olivia nodded, but didn’t move her hand from her stomach.

* * *

After the doctor left, Rafael placed his hand over Olivia’s on her stomach. “Catie is just fine, _mi alma_. Maybe she just got a little overexcited about something.”

“I overreacted?”

Rafael shook his head. “You heard what Dr. Monroe said. Personally, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

“Me, too,” Olivia whispered, looking up at him with tearful eyes. “Thank you for being so understanding.”

“You don’t need to thank me, _mi vida_. I _want_ to take care of you and our kids. All three of them.”

“You don’t think it was a bit much…bringing Miranda into our family when we’re having a baby?”

“Absolutely not. Miranda belongs with us. We knew that from the beginning. Is the timing ideal? No, but she was meant to be ours. Just like Noah and Catie.”

“Her confidence has grown so much.”

“Maybe a little _too_ much,” Rafael joked, eliciting a laugh from Olivia.

* * *

“Mami,” Rafael said an hour later when his mother answered the phone. “We’re just leaving the hospital. How are the kids?”

“Asleep in their rooms. You take Liv home and I’ll bring the kids over in the morning after breakfast.”

“They go to sleep okay?”

“Yes. Miranda said she likes her bed, but Lovey still isn’t sure.”

Rafael laughed. “That sounds about right. _Gracias,_ Mami.”

“Liv and Catie are okay?”

“Yes. They’re both healthy. The doctor was a little concerned about Liv’s blood pressure, and we’re supposed to monitor it at home, but it went down enough that we can go home.”

“I’m sure a good night’s sleep in her own bed will be helpful.”

“I agree. Call me before you leave tomorrow, okay?”

“I will. _Buenas noches, mijo_. Give Liv my love.”

“ _Buenas noches,_ Mami.”

“Everything okay?” Olivia asked once he’d hung up.

“Kids are asleep at Mami’s. There’s no sense in waking them up now. She said she’d feed them breakfast and then bring them back home afterwards.”

“Your mom is the best.”

Rafael chuckled. “I know another pretty great mom.”

“Catie and I want to sleep in our gigantic bed, wrapped in your arms. Can we go home and do that?”

Rafael nodded. “Absolutely.”

* * *

The following afternoon, Fin, Sonny, and Amanda came over with boxes of stuff for Olivia.

“Where’s Liv?” Amanda asked.

“Taking a nap,” Rafael replied. “She should be up soon.”

“What’d you do with the kids?” Sonny wondered.

“Miranda is napping with Liv, and Noah is at a friend’s house.”

“Everythin’ okay with her and the baby?” Fin asked.

Rafael nodded. “The doctor just wants to take some extra precautions because Liv’s blood pressure was higher than she’d like.”

“Well, we can hold down the fort at work. Even if this one,” he said, nodding his head toward Amanda, “has been restricted to desk duty.”

“Already?”

Fin shrugged. “Dodds wasn’t taking any chances this time. Liv put in for another detective, but Dodds said that was still in the works. Thankfully, Erin is good about helping out wherever we need her to.”

* * *

Once Olivia and Miranda had woken from their naps, they joined everyone in the living room. Still feeling a little sleepy, Miranda was sitting on Rafael’s lap, resting her head against his chest, Lovey clutched tightly in her arms.

“Daddy,” Miranda said softly.

Rafael looked down at his daughter and noticed tears shining in her eyes. “ _Mija,_ what’s wrong?”

“Don’t feel good.”

Lifting his hand to her forehead, Rafael frowned when he noticed she felt a little warmer than usual.

“Eveythin’ okay?” Amanda asked, having noticed her friend’s frown.

“I need to take her temperature,” Rafael replied as he stood and carried Miranda into the nearby bathroom.

* * *

“Daddy,” Miranda cried.

“I know, _mija_ ,” he said soothingly as he set her on the bathroom counter. “I just need to take your temperature and then we’ll get your feeling better, okay?”

Miranda nodded and then watched her father grab the thermometer before running it over her forehead.

“A little high,” Rafael said, putting the thermometer back and then reaching for the children’s medicine he knew Olivia kept nearby.

“No,” Miranda protested when Rafael tried to give it to her.

“ _Mija_ , it will make you feel better. You can have some juice afterwards, okay?”

Miranda shook her head. “No,” she repeated.

“I know it doesn’t taste good, _corazonito_ , but it will help you feel better. I promise.”

Miranda sighed. “Okay,” she said a few moments later.

“Good girl,” Rafael said, giving her the medicine and then lifting her back into his arms. “Now, let’s go find you some juice.”

* * *

Settling Miranda on his hip, Rafael opened the fridge and took out one of the grape juice boxes that he knew she liked. Setting it on the counter, he stuck the straw in it and then handed it to his daughter, who laid her head on his shoulder as she sipped it.

“Everything okay?” Olivia asked as she entered the kitchen.

“She has a little bit of a fever. I gave her some medicine and now we’re having juice,” Rafael replied, brushing some hair back from Miranda’s face.

Olivia ran a hand over her daughter’s hair. “My poor sweet girl.”

“Mommy,” Miranda said, tears forming in her eyes again.

“It’s okay, sweet girl,” Olivia cooed. “Mommy and Daddy are right here. We’ll help you to feel better.”

“I’m hungry.”

“I think I know just the thing.”

Miranda watched Olivia take a container out of the fridge, smiling a little when she realized what it was.

“ _Abuelita_ ’s soup?” she asked.

“Yes. Would you like that?”

Miranda nodded, keeping her head on Rafael’s shoulder as she watched Olivia warm up the soup.

* * *

“How’s Miranda doin’?” Sonny asked when Olivia returned to the living room.

“Rafael got her to take some medicine and she ate quite a bit of soup, so I think a little rest and she’ll be back to her normal self in no time,” Olivia replied.

“Where is she now?”

“Rafael took her up to her room.”

“Manda and I could take Noah tonight if that would help.”

Olivia smiled and shook her head. “He’s actually having a sleepover at his friend’s house since he doesn’t have school tomorrow, but thank you. I might take you up on that sometime soon.”

“Just let us know when,” Amanda told her.

“How are _you_ feeling?” Olivia asked her friend.

Amanda smiled and placed a hand on her stomach. “Good. I didn’t puke at any crime scenes this time. Not that Dodds gave me much of a chance.”

“Well, _I_ feel better knowing you are there to help Fin hold things down at the precinct.”

Amanda laughed and nodded. “He needs a little mothering sometimes.”

Fin rolled his eyes, but everyone saw a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

* * *

“Do you want to put your pajamas on?” Rafael asked Miranda as they walked into her room.

“I can?” she asked in surprise.

“Only because you’re not feeling well.”

“Bear jammies?”

“Sure,” Rafael agreed, setting her on her bed before taking out the pajamas she wanted. They were purple with teddy bears on them. As they combined her favorite color and her favorite animal, they were her favorite pair of pajamas.

Once Rafael was finished helping her change, he settled her in her bed with a movie playing on his iPad. When he stood to leave the room, Miranda cried out.

“No! Daddy!”

Rafael bent and pressed a kiss to her head. “I’ll be right back, _mija. Lo prometo_.”

Miranda nodded, cuddling Lovey close as she focused on the movie.

* * *

When he returned a few minutes later, Rafael saw that Miranda was having trouble keeping her eyes open. Taking a seat on the bed next to her, he reached over and rubbed her back.

“Daddy,” Miranda cried.

“Shh, _mija_ , I’m right here,” Rafael soothed. “You can take another nap, it’s okay.”

Miranda crawled onto his lap and laid her head against his chest. In response, Rafael wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

“How about we lay down?” he suggested.

“Don’t leave.”

“I won’t.”

Miranda nodded, crawling back under the covers as Rafael lay down behind her.

* * *

Once Miranda had once again fallen asleep, Rafael carefully moved from the bed and went in search of his wife. He found her alone in the living room.

“Everyone leave?” he asked.

“Yes. How’s Miranda?”

“Sleeping. I’ve never seen her so clingy before,” Rafael said as he took a seat next to Olivia on the couch.

“She’s not feeling well,” Olivia reminded him. “You know you can always call Dr. Lee or your mom if you think you need to.”

“How was she before you laid down for your nap?”

Olivia thought for a moment. “She just seemed sleepy. I thought maybe she didn’t sleep well last night or something. Did she have a high fever?”

“Nothing alarming,” Rafael answered.

Olivia laid her head on his shoulder. “You’re a good husband and father, Rafa. You take such good care of all of us.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I do my best.”

Olivia smiled at the familiar phrase as she reached for Rafael’s hand and placed it on her stomach.

“Catie is feeling neglected?” he joked.

“A little, I think,” Olivia replied with a laugh.

“ _Lo siento, mijita_. Your sister needed me. But I will always be here for you and your brother, too.”

“You can’t have both girls.”

Rafael chuckled. “They’re _our_ children, _mi alma_.”

“We chose them all,” Olivia added. “I don’t want Noah or Miranda to ever think we love them less because they’re not our biological children.”

“We’ll make sure they don’t. They’re siblings. It’s that simple. Although, technically, _you_ chose Noah.”

Olivia shook her head. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of you and our friends. I know we weren’t together yet, but you were, and still are, my best friend. You always looked out for both of us, even if you didn’t realize you were doing it. You and Noah bonded pretty much right away, as soon as you stopped holding him like a bomb about to go off.”

Rafael laughed. “Prior to our son, I hadn’t been around children a lot.”

Olivia lifted her head to look at her husband. “We can do this, right? Three kids so close in age?”

“Yes,” Rafael assured with a kiss. “As you like to remind me, we’re not alone. We have my mom and our friends. I’m fairly certain we can now add Javier to that list, too.”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Thinking about my mom dating is…not something I really want to think about. However, he seems like a nice guy and he seems to make her happy…and she deserves to be happy. To have someone who will take care of _her_ for a change.”

“But you still want to question him like a witness on the stand?”

Rafael laughed. “A little bit.”

“We could invite them over here, considering our last dinner got cut short.”

“Do you want to?”

Before she could answer, Olivia heard the sound of her phone ringing. Recognizing the number as the mother of Noah’s friend, she quickly answered.

“Hello?”

“Liv, it’s Betsy. Noah is asking to go home; he said he’s not feeling well.”

“Rafael will be there soon. Thank you for calling.”

“I took his temperature and gave him some children’s Tylenol. I hope that’s okay.”

“That’s fine, thank you.”

“I will let Noah know that his dad is on his way.”

* * *

“Noah, too?” Rafael asked with a sigh as he reluctantly stood.

“Noah, too,” Olivia confirmed. “I’m going to check on Miranda.”

“Will you be okay? I can call my mom…”

“I’m pregnant, but I can still take care of my child.”

Rafael ran a hand through his hair. “I know. I just worry about you.”

Olivia stood and then leaned over to kiss him. “Catie is sleeping and I think Miranda probably still will be as well. Go get our _tiburoncito_. Although I wouldn’t object to some of your mom’s chicken noodle soup if she wanted to bring some over or you wanted to make some when you get home.”

“I’ll call my mom. We need to get groceries, remember?”

“Ugh. Don’t remind me.”

“We could have them delivered.”

“I think that’s probably a good idea. Especially considering I’m supposed to ‘take it easy’.”

Rafael leaned over to kiss her again. “I know you’re not happy about the restrictions, _mi amor_ , but it’s what’s best for you and Catie.”

Olivia sighed. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I can’t complain a little.”

* * *

After getting Noah home, changed into his pajamas, and tucked into his bed with Eddie, Rafael went in search of the other iPad. Walking into his and Olivia’s bedroom, he smiled when he saw her lying on her side in their bed, watching a movie of her own on the TV.

“Where’s your iPad?” he asked.

Olivia pointed to their dresser. “I put it on the charger last night. How’s Noah?”

“Happy to be home in his own bed,” Rafael replied as he picked up the iPad. “I’m going to get him settled with a movie. When’s the last time you checked on Miranda?”

“About a half an hour ago, I think. Did you talk to your mom?”

“She and Javier should be here soon. Do you want to stay in here so you can be close to the kids?”

“Would they mind?”

“I highly doubt it.”

Olivia smiled and nodded. “I love you.”

Rafael walked over and leaned down to kiss her. “I love you, too.”

* * *

“How are you feeling, _mijo_?” Rafael asked Noah as he re-entered the little boy’s room.

“Tired,” Noah answered. “Thirsty.”

“You pick a movie and I’ll go get you some juice, okay?”

“Is Mom okay?”

Rafael nodded, placing the iPad on the bed and then reaching over to run a hand over Noah’s hair.

“She’s good, I promise. Would it make you feel better if I sent her in?”

Noah nodded. “I want to see Mom.”

Rafael leaned down to press a kiss to his son’s head. “Okay, _mi tiburoncito,_ I’ll send her in.”

“Little shark?”

“Very good, _mijo_.”

Noah smiled a little. “I like it,” he said.

Rafael chuckled. “Good. I’ll send your mom in.”

* * *

“Livia,” Rafael said as he re-entered their bedroom. “Noah wants to see you.”

“Is he okay?” Olivia asked as she got out of bed.

“He’s fine, all things considered. I think he just needs to see for himself that you’re okay.”

“He saw me this morning.”

“Only for a few minutes.”

Olivia opened her mouth to respond when she and Rafael both heard Miranda’s cry of ‘ _Daddy!_ ’

“I guess that’s my cue,” Rafael said, leaning over to give Olivia a quick kiss before making his way to Miranda’s room.

* * *

“ _Mija_ , what’s wrong?” Rafael asked as he walked into the room and sat next to Miranda on the bed.

Miranda crawled over onto his lap and leaned against his chest. “Bad dream.”

“It’s okay, _mi corazonito_ ,” Rafael soothed as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. “Can you tell me what the dream was about?”

“Didn’t want me anymore,” Miranda said softly.

“Oh, _mija_ , you know that will _never_ happen. Mommy and I love you very much.”

“I’m a Barba.”

Rafael smiled and pressed a kiss to her head. “Yes, you are. _Abuelita_ will be here soon and she was asking about you, you know.”

“She was?”

Rafael nodded. “Yes.”

“Javi, too?”

“You like him?”

Miranda nodded. “He’s fun.”

“You liked the Lincoln Logs?”

Miranda nodded again. “Yes!”

Rafael smiled, happy to hear the enthusiastic answer from his daughter. He guessed the medicine must be working if she was sounding more like herself.

* * *

“Cia, are you sure it’s okay for me to be here?” Javier asked as Lucia unlocked the door to Rafael and Olivia’s house.

“It’s fine, Javi,” Lucia assured him. “Rafi said so himself.”

Javier nodded, following her into the house. He heard the familiar sounds of _Paw Patrol_ as they walked into the living room.

“I see _Paw Patrol_ is a big hit in the Barba household, too,” he commented.

“ _Paw Patrol_ and _Puppy Dog Pals_ ,” Rafael replied from his seat on the couch, Miranda cuddled in his lap. “Also anything _Lego_ related is a hit with Noah.”

“How are _mis nietos_?” Lucia asked.

“Miranda seems to be feeling a bit better. I just gave her some more medicine, too. Noah had a slight temperature at his friend’s house and they gave him some medicine there. Liv was sitting with him when _mi corazonito_ here decided she wanted to watch _Paw Patrol_ on the big TV.”

Lucia turned and placed a hand on Javier’s arm. “I’m going to go check on Liv and Noah. I’ll be right back.”

Javier nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll get the soup started,” he told her before turning to Rafael. “Can I get you or Miranda anything?”

“Juice!” Miranda answered, eliciting chuckles from Rafael and Javier.

“She likes the apple juice boxes that are on the middle shelf in the fridge,” Rafael explained. 

“No, apple. Grape.”

“We don’t have grape, _mija_.”

“I want grape.”

“We have apple and fruit punch. Those are your choices.”

“Grape.”

“Miranda Barba.”

Miranda looked up at her father with tears in her eyes. “Grape.”

Rafael sighed. “Miranda, _mi corazonito_ , I would love to give you a grape juice box, but we only have apple or fruit punch. We’ll get grape next time, okay?”

“Promise?”

“I promise. So, what’ll it be, apple or fruit punch?”

“Apple, please,” Miranda said.

“Apple it is,” Javier replied. “I see she’s feisty even when she’s not feeling her best.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to Miranda’s head. “She’s all ours.”

* * *

Olivia was reading a book to Noah when she heard a knock. Looking up, she saw Lucia standing in the doorway. 

“ _Abuelita_ ,” Noah said with a smile. 

“ _Nieto_ , how are you feeling?” Lucia asked, walking over to sit on the other side of him.

“A little better.”

“What are we reading?”

“ _The Elephants and the Chocolate Cake_ ,” Olivia answered, showing Lucia the book.

“Good choice, _nieto_ ,” Lucia said with a wink for Noah.

“Are you making chicken noodle soup?” Noah asked hopefully.   
“Javier and I are, yes.”

“He’s nice. I like him.”

Lucia shared a smile with Olivia before turning her attention back to her grandson. “I’m glad you think so.”

“We’re going to finish the book and then we’ll be downstairs,” Olivia said, running a hand over Noah’s hair.

“It seems we have a hungry boy on our hands, so I better go help Javier,” Lucia said, leaning over to press a kiss to Noah’s head. “I’ll see you soon, _nieto_. Maybe next time you have a sleepover at my house, we could read the book together.”

Noah smiled and nodded, leaning over to hug his grandmother. “ _Te amo, abuelita_.”

“ _Te amo, nieto_ ,” Lucia replied, returning his hug before standing and making her way back downstairs.

* * *

A short while later, Rafael saw Noah crawl up onto the couch beside him. “How are you feeling, _mijo_?” he asked as he wrapped an arm around the little boy.

“A little better,” Noah answered.

“Where’s Mommy?” Miranda wanted to know.

“Right here, sweet girl,” Olivia responded as she took a seat on the other side of Noah. “I was just checking on _abuelita_ and Javier.”

“Can we watch a movie?” Noah asked.

“What did you have in mind?”

“ _The Aristocats_.”

“No,” Miranda objected.

“ _Corazonito_ , we just watched two episodes of your TV show choice. It’s Noah’s turn to choose something to watch,” Rafael reminded her.

“Puppies _and_ kitty movie.”

“You mean _Oliver and Company_?” Noah guessed.

Miranda nodded quickly.

“That’s a good one, too.”

“Is that your choice, _mijo_?” Rafael asked.

Noah nodded. “Yes, Dad.”

Rafael leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“On one condition,” Noah told his sister.

Miranda tilted her head at him.

“Mom _and_ Dad have to cuddle with us.”

Miranda smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

Rafael looked over at his wife, whose eyes looked suspiciously wet. “Livia, you okay?”

Olivia wiped away her tears and then smiled and nodded at him.

“Hormones,” she said with a small laugh. “I love cuddling with all of you.”

“It _has_ been a while since we’ve been able to have a family movie night.”

“Well, you can’t have a proper movie night without popcorn,” Javier said as he walked into the living room with a large bowl in his hands, Lucia following behind with a tray of drinks.

“Popcorn!” Noah said excitedly.

“How did you know?” Rafael asked the older man.

Javier shrugged. “Just a feeling.”

“Do _you_ like _Oliver and Company_?” Noah wondered.

Javier nodded. “I do. But we can watch it together another time, _niño_. Tonight you should watch it with your parents and your sister.”

“Okay.”

“We have an apple juice box for Miranda, a fruit punch juice box for Noah, and lemon water for Liv and Rafi,” Lucia said, setting down the tray on the coffee table.

“ _Gracias,_ Mami, Javier,” Rafael said.

“You four just relax. Javi and I will take care of everything.”

Rafael nodded, hoping his mother knew just how grateful he was to her.

* * *

Nearly a week later, Lucia returned home to find Rafael in her kitchen.

“Rafi? What are you doing here?” she asked.

Rafael turned and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “ _Hola,_ Mami. I’m making you dinner.”

“Where’s your family?”

“Liv is at home with the kids. Amanda brought Jesse over so the kids could play while she and Liv caught up on work stuff.”

“How’s she handling working from home?”

“It hasn’t even been a week yet, but so far, so good. I talked to Amanda about setting up video conferencing in our home office. That way Liv can still _see_ everything without having to actually go into work.”

“You spoil her,” Lucia teased.

Rafael smiled and shrugged. “She and our kids are the loves of my life, Mami.”

“I remember when you first started talking about her. Your _abuelita_ and I knew then that she was the one for you.”

Rafael laughed. “Because she drove me crazy?”

“You’re usually good at brushing off people who annoy you, darling. The fact that she got under your skin enough to actually drive you crazy, and enough that you _complained_ about it, told us all we needed to know. Your eyes also gave you away.”

“I know you told _abuelita_ about the day you first met Liv, but you never told me what she said in response.”

Lucia smiled as she watched her son cook one of his _abuelita_ ’s recipes. “Well, she asked what _I_ thought of her and she was, of course, a fan of Liv’s response.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Sounds like her.”

“She would have loved her, _mijo_. I know it. But to answer your question…she said it was about time you met your match.”

“I miss her.”

“I know. I do, too. Your Miranda reminds me of her, though.”

“Javier calls her feisty.”

Lucia laughed. “He’s not wrong.”

“She’s going to be a handful.”

“But would you have it any other way?”

Rafael shook his head. “Absolutely not. I love my kids. I think Miranda and _abuelita_ would have conspired together.”

Lucia smiled and nodded. “Most likely.”

“Did _abuelita_ and _abuelito_ like Javier?”

“Yes, very much.”

“What about my father?”

“At first, yes.”

“But not as much as Javier?”

“I’m not sure. I never asked.”

“Do you ever wish things had worked out with you two back when you were younger?”

Lucia stood and walked over to her son, laying a hand on his arm. “Rafi, what is this about?”

“Do you regret having me?”

Lucia was taken aback by the question, but she knew her answer right away. She reached up and cupped her son’s cheek in her hand, bringing his eyes to meet hers. “ _Never_. _Eres mi todo_ , Rafael. _Te amo. Siempre._ I’m _so_ proud of you. I’m _so_ sorry I didn’t do more to leave your father and save you from what he put you through.”

Rafael sighed. “Maybe I should just leave that side of the family alone.”

“Rafi, if you want to find out more about the Barba side, I think you should. I told you I’m perfectly fine with it. Javi said he’d help you if you like. He’s done family trees for both of his sides and a couple of friends of his before.”

“Do you love him, Mami?”

Lucia sighed, dropping her hand. “I don’t know, _mijo_. I think I might. How would you feel about that?”

Rafael shrugged. “I barely know him.”

“I barely knew Liv when you married her.”

Rafael scowled and turned to check on the food. Seeing it was done, he turned the stove off and then turned back to his mother. “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

“Is it? Rafi, I had only met her once before you suddenly showed up with her and Noah at brunch like an instant family.”

“You gave me _abuelita_ ’s ring that day! You and Liv were chatting like old friends by the end of that meal!”

“You proposed rather fast, don’t you think?”

“No, Mami, I _don’t_. I’ve loved Olivia for a long time and she’s my best friend. You had to have known that.”

“Of course I did, but I didn’t know _her_.”

Rafael threw his hands up in the air. “I love Olivia and our kids. I love the life I have now. You don’t get to rewrite history just because I’m a little wary of Javier. I came over here tonight to do something special for you, to show you how much I appreciate everything you did last weekend when I had to take Liv to the ER and when the kids were sick. I will _never_ be sorry for the way my family came to be.”

“Rafi, that’s not what I was trying to say.”

“Then what _are_ you trying to say?”

“I just want you to give Javier a chance!”

“I never said I wouldn’t!”

Lucia closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Rafi, I don’t want to fight with you. You know I love Liv and the kids. Is it so bad that _I_ want a chance to be that happy, too?”

Rafael sighed. “No, Mami, it’s not. I’m willing to give Javier a chance because I know what he means to _you_ …and because it was clear from that picture that he cares about the people _you_ care about. He wasn’t upset at our dinner being cut short and he sat on the floor playing with my kids so they wouldn’t worry about their mom. He made us all popcorn because he thought we’d like it. I _know_ that’s more than my father ever would have done. Maybe if his parents hadn’t died, he’d have been a different person. But he’s gone now and Javier is here. I was beginning to think having a family wasn’t something that was going to happen for me and then I met Liv…and she adopted Noah…and then before I knew it, I was, for all intents and purposes, a father to that little boy and it didn’t terrify me as much as I thought it would. I didn’t have _any_ desire to hurt my child the way my father hurt me. All I want to do when I look at my kids is protect them from the bad things in the world.”

Lucia laid a hand on Rafael’s arm. “I know, _mijo_. I see that. I’m sorry. I just feel very…mixed up…right now.”

Rafael sighed and pulled his mother into a hug. “I understand. Maybe we could arrange another dinner? Hopefully Catie won’t interrupt this one.”

Lucia smiled and nodded. “I’d like that. I’ll talk to Javi.”

“I need to get home, but I hope you enjoy your meal, Mami.”

Lucia pressed a kiss to his cheek. “ _Te amo,_ Rafi. Give your beautiful family my love.”

“I will, Mami. _Te amo_ ,” Rafael replied, hugging her once more.

* * *

When he walked into the house, Rafael was greeted by a small body running into his legs. Looking down, he saw the brown hair of his daughter. Lifting her into his arms, he pressed a loud kiss to her cheek, knowing it always made her giggle. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Miranda Barba, what did we just talk about?” Olivia said as she walked into the entryway.

Miranda sighed. “No running.”

“ _Mija_ , you know it scares Mommy and Daddy when you do that,” Rafael reminded her.

“I knew it was Daddy.”

“Yes, but you _also_ know he always greets us when he gets home,” Olivia replied.

“Where’s our _tiburoncito_?” Rafael asked, leaning over to kiss her.

“Setting the table. Dinner is almost ready.”

“Spaghetti!” Miranda said excitedly.

“Why don’t you go help your brother?” Rafael suggested as he set her on her feet. “And walk please.”

Miranda sighed, but nodded and did as her father instructed. Stepping closer to Olivia, Rafael slid his arms around her waist and kissed her again. He was surprised when Olivia rested her forehead against his shoulder.

“You okay, _mi vida_?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Just tired.”

“I’m going to go change. After dinner, I’ll take care of the kids’ baths and putting them to bed. You should rest.”

“You bathe them, I’ll read to them,” Olivia countered as she lifted her head.

“Deal,” Rafael replied, leaning in to kiss her again.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically just a family fluff chapter, because I enjoy writing them happy. A bit of emotional Olivia and Rollisi family, too.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

The following Saturday morning, Rafael woke early and made his way to the home office so he could try and get some work done before the kids woke up. He wanted to let Olivia sleep in as often as possible, rest was important for her and for Catie. His mother and Javier were coming over for lunch as well. He quickly lost track of time and didn’t realize it until he heard the door open and saw Olivia walk in with a plate of food. Glancing at his watch, he realized it was nearly nine o’clock.

“Livia, you should have come to get me when the kids woke up,” he said as he took the plate and kissed her.

“Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t take care of our children. You’re going to burn yourself out and that wouldn’t do me _or_ our children any good. Snacking is fine, but you need to eat a meal, too. I made eggs and toast. There’s some fruit there, too. Your mom and Javier will be here around noon. Tonight is family movie night and your attendance _is_ required.”

Rafael smiled as he kissed her again. “Yes, _mi vida_.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

Shortly after eleven, Rafael walked into the living room and found Olivia sitting on the couch, browsing a website on her laptop, while Noah colored and Miranda played with her blocks. _Toy Story 2_ was playing on the TV in the background.

“Daddy!” Miranda said excitedly, the first one to spot him.

Rafael picked her up and pressed a loud kiss to her cheek, smiling when he got the anticipated giggle in response.

“What are you making?” he asked as he set her back down.

“A tower. Noah helped.”

“He did?”

“Just a little,” Noah said, looking up from his coloring book. “Do we have time for some Lego building before _Abuelita_ gets here?”

Rafael glanced at his watch. “I think we have a little time. Put your coloring book away, first, though.”

Noah nodded, doing as his father instructed.

“What are you looking at?” Rafael asked Olivia as he took a seat next to her and gave her a quick kiss.

“Winter coats for the kids. Noah outgrew his from last year, and the one Miranda had is too small as well. I’ll need a new one as well, since I can’t really wear any of my old ones until _after_ Catie is born.”

“I can take them tomorrow.”

“Rafa, you need to rest. Between work and taking care of me and the kids, you haven’t done much of that.”

“I just want to make sure you’re all taken care of.”

Olivia smiled at him, raising her hand to his cheek. “I know, _mi amor_ , and it’s one of the many things I love about you. But rest is important, too.”

“I’m done working for the weekend,” Rafael promised. “Unless your squad catches a case.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re _our_ squad.”

Rafael chuckled. “I suppose. But I’m still taking the kids to get a new coats tomorrow.”

* * *

“Luci, Javier, it’s good to see you both again,” Olivia said as she greeted the couple.

“How are you feeling?” Lucia asked.

“Good. Hopefully Catie behaves today.”

“I brought something for Miranda and Noah, I hope you don’t mind,” Javier said.

“Can I ask what it is?”

Javier opened the bag, showing Olivia the contents.

“They’ll love it, I’m sure,” she replied. “I can tell you’re a grandparent.”

Javier chuckled. “My kids will tell you I wasn’t much better about not spoiling them as their parent as I am about not spoiling their kids as their _abuelito_.”

Olivia smiled. “Hopefully we’ll get to meet them all someday soon and they can tell us stories about it.”

Javier looked at Lucia in surprise, but she simply smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

“Noah, Miranda, look who’s here!” Olivia called as she led them into the house.

As expected, a few seconds later, both kids came running, with Rafael not far behind them.

“ _Mis nietos_ ,” Lucia said with a smile as she hugged her grandchildren. “Are you being good for your parents?”

When both children nodded, Lucia pressed a kiss to each of their heads. “Javi has something for each of you.”

Walking over to Rafael, Olivia slipped her arm around his waist and leaned into his side, smiling when she felt him wrap an arm around her shoulders and press a kiss to her temple. Together, they watched Javier hand Noah a shark pillow and hand Miranda a heart pillow.

“Look, Daddy! Mommy!” Miranda said excitedly, proudly showing them her pillow.

“ _Un corazón para mi corazonito_ ,” Rafael said with a smile for his daughter.

“Come on, sweet girl, let’s go put it in your room,” Olivia said, taking Miranda’s hand and leading her out of the room.

“ _Abuelita_ , you have to say hi to Eddie and Lovey,” Noah insisted, grabbing his grandmother’s hand.

“How could I forget about _mis nietos animales_?” Lucia asked with a laugh as she followed her grandson.

With the departure of his mother, wife, and children, Rafael found himself alone with Javier.

“Thank you for the presents, the kids love them,” he said to the older man.

“Of course. They’re great kids.”

“They are.”

Javier let out a breath before he changed the subject. “Look, Rafael, I understand you’re protective of your mom, but I hope you know that I would never hurt her.”

“My father said the same thing to her and look how that turned out.”

“I’m not your father. But I do have feelings for your mom and I want to be with her.”

“Where do my family and I fit into that picture?”

“Your kids have already wormed their way into my heart, and I’d like to get to know you and Olivia better. The kids, too. I would eventually like for you all to meet _my_ family and for all of us to think of each other as family. I understand that you and Olivia have built your own family unit, but I’m hoping there’s room for more family.”

Rafael was silent for a few moments as he contemplated Javier’s words. Then he held out his hand to the older man. “There’s always room for more family,” he said.

Javier smiled as he shook Rafael’s hand. “Thank you.”

“Everything okay in here?” Olivia asked as she and Miranda walked back into the room.

“Yes,” Rafael answered. “Javier and I were just chatting.”

“You two relax with your children. Cia and I can take care of the cooking.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but said nothing.

“Come on, Rafa,” Olivia said, taking his hand. “You haven’t greeted Catie yet today and we don’t want her to get angry again.”

Rafael chuckled. “Never that.”

* * *

“So, I’ve been thinking about Catie’s name,” Rafael said as he and Olivia relaxed on the couch together. The kids had both asked to help with lunch, so Lucia and Javier had them occupied.

“You want to change it?” Olivia asked, placing a hand on her stomach. “She’s Catie.”

“I don’t want to change her first name. I was thinking about her middle name.”

“I thought we agreed on Morales?”

“We did,” Rafael said. “But I think we should go with Benson.”

“Why?”

“Noah’s and Miranda’s middle names are their biological mother’s last names. _You_ are Catie’s biological mother. We’ve talked about how I have made Barba into a good name again, and I think you did the same for Benson.”

Olivia laid her head on his shoulder as she thought about what he’d said. When Catie began to kick, she grabbed Rafael’s hand and placed it on her stomach.

“I think she agrees,” he told her with a laugh.

“Hush,” she replied, lifting her head and pressing her lips to his.

* * *

“Don’t touch, _nieta_ ,” Lucia told her granddaughter as she saw the little girl standing close to the hot stove.

“Want to see,” she replied. “ _Por favor, Abuelita_?”

“Here, _chiquita_ , let me help you,” Javier said, lifting her into his arms so she could see the dishes on the stove.

“Noah, look!” she said excitedly, looking around for her brother.

“I want to see, too,” Noah said.

After setting Miranda back on her feet, Javier lifted Noah into his arms and let him have a look at the dishes.

“What do you say to Javi?” Lucia asked her grandchildren as Javier set Noah back on his feet.

“Thank you,” they chorused together, eliciting a smile from Javier.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

* * *

“So, what are we watching tonight?” Rafael asked, taking a seat next to Noah on the couch.

“ _Lilo and Stitch_ ,” Olivia answered, smiling at him over their children’s heads.

“I’m cold,” Noah said as Olivia pressed _play_ on the DVD.

Rafael reached for the blanket that lay on the back of the couch, a quilt made by his _abuelita_ , and spread it out over the four of them.

“Is that better?” he asked his son.

Noah nodded, leaning into Rafael’s side a little as the movie began.

* * *

Later that night, as he was tucking Noah into bed, Rafael noticed he appeared to be deep in thought.

“What’s on your mind, _mijo_?” he asked, taking a seat on the bed beside him.

Noah cuddled Eddie close. “Is Javier going to be our _abuelito_?”

“I’m not sure. He and _abuelita_ have known each other a long time, but they just recently started spending more time together.”

“Like you and Mom did.”

“Sort of, I guess, yes.”

“I like him.”

“Do you?”

Noah nodded. “He let us help with lunch and he lifted both me and Miranda so we could see the food as it cooked. He read to us when you had to take Mom to the hospital.”

“Really.”

“Yeah. He doesn’t do the voices like you, but he let us each pick a story. He said he has grandchildren of his own.”

“He does,” Rafael confirmed. “Would you like to meet them?”

Noah considered his father’s question. “Are they my age?”

“I’m not sure. I can find out.”

“Okay.”

Rafael smiled, leaning over to press a kiss to his son’s forehead. “ _Dulces sueños, mi tiburoncito_.”

“’Night, Dad. Love you.”

“Love you, too, _mijo_.”

* * *

Walking into Miranda’s room, Rafael was surprised to find she was already sleeping. She was usually the one who fought sleep the most. But she had missed her nap that day, insisting she didn’t need it. Bending, he pressed a gentle kiss to her head before walking to his and Olivia’s bedroom.

“Did you say goodnight to Noah?” he asked as he entered the room and found Olivia sitting up against the headboard with a book in her hands, gently shutting the door behind him.

“Yes. Miranda was out half-way through her story, but I didn’t want to interrupt your conversation with Noah,” Olivia answered as Rafael joined her in their bed.

“He told me that he likes Javier.”

“He seems like a good man, Rafa.”

“I’m beginning to realize that.”

Olivia reached over and ran a hand through his hair. “I know you feel protective of your mom, but just give him a chance, okay?”

Rafael nodded, turning his head to press a kiss to her palm. “Noah wants me to find out how old Javier’s grandkids are.”

“It _would_ be nice for them to have more kids their age to play with. Maybe we could have his family over for dinner sometime?”

“Do you want to?”

Olivia nodded. “I would, actually. If your mom and Javier’s relationship ends up going the way I think it will, they’ll be your step-siblings and their children will be _our_ children’s cousins.”

“I’ll call Javier tomorrow.”

“Really?”

Rafael sighed, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together. “I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, and I know it would mean a lot to Mami for me to meet them.”

“You’re a good son.”

“I do my best.”

Olivia smiled at him, leaning over and brushing her lips with his. “Catie would like to hear a story about your childhood for her bedtime story.”

Rafael chuckled as he reached over to turn off his lamp. “Oh, really?”

“Mm,” Olivia replied as they lay down and curled together. “She seems to like them and I could use a good few hours of sleep.”

“When I would help my _abuelitos_ cook, my _abuelito_ used to help me sneak food. _Abuelita_ caught us one day and told my _abuelito_ that he was a bad influence on me.”

Olivia laughed. “What did he say about that?”

Rafael smiled at the memory. “He just laughed and told her we were simply taste testing. _Abuelita_ rolled her eyes at him, but I saw her trying not to smile.”

“I know the feeling.”

Rafael chuckled, leaning over to kiss her. “You love me anyway.”

“True.”

* * *

The next morning, Rafael surveyed the home office and tried to picture how he could move things around so Olivia could have her own desk. He’d already cleared out one of the filing cabinets for her, and he was having a desk delivered later that day. Amanda and Sonny were coming over in the afternoon with Jesse so the three kids could play while they readied space in the office for Olivia. His mother had invited Olivia over for a girls’ lunch, which would allow Rafael to surprise her.

“Daddy!”

Turning at the sound of his daughter’s voice, Rafael saw her run into the room, still in her pajamas.

“ _Mija_ , why aren’t you dressed?” he asked, scooping her up into his arms. Noticing the syrup on her fingers and face, he frowned at her. “You’re all sticky.”

“Mommy made pancakes.”

“I know. You were supposed to take a bath after you were done eating.”

Miranda laid her head on his shoulder. “Mommy said Noah first.”

“Does Mommy know you went looking for me?”

“Yes.”

“Come on, then, let’s get you in the tub before Aunt Amanda, Uncle Sonny, and Jesse get here.”

* * *

After lunch with her mother-in-law, Olivia returned home to find Sonny, Amanda, and Jesse playing in the living room with Rafael, Noah, and Miranda.

“Did I miss a play date?” she asked Amanda.

“Rafael needed Sonny and me to help him with something, so we figured we might as well just bring Jesse along to play with Noah and Miranda rather than getting a sitter.”

Olivia was silent as she tried to figure out what Rafael could have needed Amanda and Sonny’s help with. When she couldn’t, she looked over at her husband, who was coloring with Miranda. Although the sight made her smile, she wanted to know what he was up to.

“ _Mijos,_ do you want to help me show Mom her surprise?” Rafael asked his children.

Both kids nodded, eagerly standing and each taking one of Olivia’s hands as they began to follow their father. Bending to scoop up Jesse, Sonny settled her on his hip and then reached for Amanda’s hand before they began to follow Rafael as well.

“Close your eyes,” Rafael instructed Olivia.

Olivia briefly narrowed her eyes at him but then did as he asked. Once her eyes were closed, she felt the kids leading her down the hall. They stopped her and she heard a door open before they led her a few more steps.

“Open, Mommy!” Miranda said excitedly.

Olivia opened her eyes and took in the changes to the home office. They had planned on making room for a second desk, but hadn’t had time to do it yet. Clearly, Rafael had made time. She could see the desk she had told him she liked, along with her laptop and a new office chair. There were some filing trays on the desk and a filing cabinet behind it.

“Rafa…” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “You did all of this…for _me_?”

Rafael picked up Miranda and settled her on his hip before taking her place at Olivia’s side and sliding his arm around her waist. “Of course, _mi alma_ ,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“Miranda and I chose the picture for your desk, Mom,” Noah told her.

“Which one did you choose?” Olivia asked, releasing his hand to run hers over his curls.

“I’ll show you.”

Olivia followed him over to her desk and he handed her the frame containing the picture they’d selected.

“From the party at the hotel,” she said, tracing her fingers over the faces of three of the people she loved most in the world.

“Catie is in it, too.”

Olivia smiled and nodded, feeling tears prick her eyes again. “She is. It’s perfect. Thank you. Both of you,” she said before turning to her friends. “And thank you to you two as well.”

“It’s what family does,” Amanda said with a shrug of her shoulders. “This way you can stay connected to us even though you’re working from here.”

“I’m going to rely on you to keep Fin in line,” Olivia joked.

Amanda laughed. “Happy to help.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, as Olivia and Miranda napped and Noah worked on a new picture for the home office, Rafael was about to call Javier when he realized he didn’t have the older man’s number. Calling his mother instead, he hoped she could either connect him with Javier or answer Noah’s question about the ages of the older man’s grandchildren.

“ _Hola_ , Rafi,” Lucia greeted.

“ _Hola_ , Mami,” Rafael replied. “Is Javier with you by chance?”

“He’s right here. Why?”

“I have a question for him from Noah…and I realized that I don’t have his number.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Fine, Mami. Noah is working hard on a new picture for our home office and the girls are sleeping.”

“What about _you_ , _mijo_? Are _you_ relaxing?”

Rafael rolled his eyes as he sighed. “Yes, Mami. Once Noah is finished with his drawing, we’re going to work on his Lego.”

Knowing building Lego was something both her son and grandson enjoyed, Lucia was satisfied with that answer. “Give Liv and the kids my love.”

“I will,” Rafael promised.

“I love you, Rafi.”

Rafael smiled. “I love you, too, Mami.”

“ _Hola,_ Rafael,” Javier said a few moments later.

“ _Hola_ ,” Rafael replied.

“Cia said that _tu tiburoncito_ has a question for me?”

“Yes. He wants to know how old your grandchildren are.”

“Julia is four, Miguel is six, Juan is nine, Marisa is eleven, and Elena is two.”

“He’ll be happy to know most of them are close in age to him.”

“Olivia wants to plan a dinner for you to meet my family I hear.”

“She does,” Rafael confirmed. “I think she’d be most comfortable here, if that’s okay with you and your family.”

“Of course. I’ll give you my number in case Noah has any more questions and Olivia can contact me with any questions about the dinner. I’ll help her however I can.”

“I appreciate that.”

“If you, or your family, need _anything_ , I want you know you can call me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * *

Walking into the store where he and Olivia were going to buy new winter coats for her and the kids, Rafael held Miranda tightly in his arms while Olivia held Noah’s hand.

“Purple!” Miranda exclaimed, pointing to a nearby coat.

“Let’s see if they have your size,” Rafael told her, walking over to the section she had pointed to.

“I’m going to take Noah to pick out his coat,” Olivia said, nodding towards another nearby section.

Rafael nodded and began to search through the coats to find one in his daughter’s size. When he didn’t see one, he turned back to her regretfully. “I’m sorry, _mija_ , they don’t have this one in your size.”

Miranda frowned. “Purple,” she repeated.

Rafael pressed a kiss to her head. “Let’s look and see if they have other purple ones,” he said, scanning the section and quickly spotting another purple one. This was one was a darker purple like the dress she had worn to the party. He looked for her size and smiled when he found it. Setting Miranda on her feet, he crouched in front of her to help her try on the coat.

“What do you think?” he asked her.

Miranda grinned at him. “Mine?” she asked.

“If this is the one you want.”

Miranda nodded. “It’s soft. And warm.”

“You like it?”

Miranda nodded again. “Yes. I want this one.”

“Okay, coat found. Now we need to find you boots and snow pants,” Rafael said, standing and picking her up again and walking over to the next section.

* * *

As he looked through the coats, Noah was starting to feel disappointed that he didn’t see one he liked when he spotted a blue one out of the corner of his eye. Walking over to it, he smiled and looked up at his mother.

“Do they have my size?” he asked.

“Let’s see,” Olivia said, searching for and quickly finding her son’s size. “It looks like they do. You should try it on.”

Noah nodded, putting the coat on and letting Olivia help him with the zipper. After moving around a bit while wearing the coat, he decided this was the one.

“I want this one,” he said, unknowingly parroting his sister’s words.

“Onto snow pants and boots, then,” Olivia said, holding onto the coat after Noah had taken it off.

* * *

A short while later, Olivia and Noah joined Rafael and Miranda in the kids’ boots section. The little girl was walking around in a pair of black boots with hearts on them.

“Hi, sweet girl,” Olivia greeted, bending to press a kiss to the top of her head. “Did you find some boots?”

Miranda nodded, lifting her foot to show her mother the boots. “Hearts,” she said, pointing to the designs.

“Perfect,” Olivia replied. Seeing Rafael was now helping Noah with _his_ boot selection, she lifted the little girl onto the nearby bench and helped her take the boots off. When she didn’t see the girl’s shoes, she turned to her husband. “Rafa, where are Miranda’s shoes?”

Rafael walked a little further down the aisle and picked up the _Paw Patrol_ shoes the girl had been wearing, bringing them over to his wife. He winked playfully at his daughter before returning to Noah’s side.

“Daddy’s funny,” Miranda said as Olivia helped her with her shoes.

“He is,” Olivia agreed. “While we wait for Noah, why don’t you show me what Daddy helped you pick out.”

Miranda nodded, grabbing Olivia’s hand and leading her down the aisle to where Rafael had left her things, eagerly showing her mother the items.

* * *

Once they arrived home from coat shopping, Rafael and Olivia helped the kids put away their purchases before the former ventured into the kitchen to begin making dinner. He was about to open the fridge when he saw a note in his mother’s handwriting. Lifting the magnet she had used to stick it to the fridge, he quickly scanned it.

_Javi and I did some cooking today. We included some Barba family favorites._

_Love,_

_Mami_

Rafael smiled, opening the fridge to see what his mother and Javier had dropped off. When he was the meal Noah had been asking for- _arroz con pollo_ -he quickly pulled it out and began to dish it out, placing each plate in the microwave to warm up the food.

Having heard the sounds of the microwave, Olivia wandered into the kitchen to see what Rafael was making.

“Mami and Javier dropped off some food,” Rafael told her, nodding towards the note that was now sitting on the counter.

“Is that _arroz con pollo_?” Olivia asked once she’d read the note.

“It is.”

“Noah’s going to be thrilled. Miranda told me earlier that she wanted it, too. I’ll get the kids settled at the table. It won’t be long, will it?”

Rafael shook his head. “No.”

After giving Rafael a kiss, Olivia left the room to round up their kids and settle them at the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on Catie's middle name? Morales or Benson?


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically just a fluffy Barson family chapter. Thousand_miles requested more Barson togetherness, so I tried to make that happen :) More squad next chapter I think. I have a few things in mind for this story but am still figuring out how to make them work. 
> 
> Special thanks to my fellow Barson fans on Twitter for helping me with ideas for costumes. Also thanks to theoofoof for letting me use her idea from her story, "Rediscovering Christmas" as a prompt of sorts. It made me remember something I used to do in my childhood :)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

The following weekend, Olivia was relaxing in bed with her newest book when she saw her husband walk into the room.

“The kids are settled at Mami’s and are sure to return tomorrow spoiled rotten and full of stories about their newest friends,” Rafael said as he approached and bent to kiss her.

“Javier’s grandkids?” Olivia asked.

“Two of them-Julia and Miguel. I briefly met Javier’s son, Jose, as well.”

“That’s their dad, right?”

“Yes,” Rafael said as he changed into sweatpants and an old Harvard t-shirt. “He was with Javier as the zoo when he caught Miranda.”

“I don’t remember him being there.”

Rafael shrugged as he crawled into bed beside her. “He and the kids were at a nearby exhibit when it happened, I guess.”

“Your mom and Javier are going to be okay with four little kids?” Olivia checked.

Rafael leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple. “They’ll be fine, mi amor. Mami said she would send pictures. Tonight, I want to relax with you and Catie.”

Olivia laid her head on Rafael’s shoulder. “Would relaxing happen to include watching that new movie I wanted to see?”

Rafael briefly laid his head on top of hers and then reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. “I could be convinced.”

Olivia laughed, lifting her head and then capturing Rafael’s lips with hers. Threading his fingers into Olivia’s hair, Rafael returned the kiss, and the movie was temporarily forgotten by both of them.

* * *

Later that night, as he and Olivia were cuddled together watching the movie, Rafael felt Catie begin to kick.

“I guess having an uninterrupted movie night was merely a dream,” he joked.

Olivia laughed, moving her hand to cover his. “I think she just wants you to tell her another story. Maybe one about your abuelita, whom she’s named after?”

Rafael paused the movie and then tightened his arms around Olivia as he thought about what memory he could share with her and Catie today.

“My first year at Harvard, I called her one night because I was feeling homesick. Specifically I missed her, Abuelito, and Mami. I knew they were all together on Sunday mornings for brunch, so I called and talked to each of them. It was after the holidays and I knew I wouldn’t see them again for a while. A couple of weeks later, they all showed up at my dorm. It was Abuelita’s idea, and she had brought me a quilt along with some of my favorite non-perishable foods. They spent the weekend in Cambridge and it kind of became a tradition. Every year after that, until I moved back to New York, a few weeks after the holidays, they would visit for a weekend.”

“Was that quilt the same one that’s on the back of the couch now?”

Rafael nodded. “It is. I’m not quite sure how it ended up at Mami’s, since I had it with me when I moved back to New York, but I’m glad she found it.”

“Did your grandmother sew a lot?”

“Sometimes more often than others. She liked to cook mostly.”

“Is she the one who taught you?”

“A combination of her and my mom. Which, considering it was Abuelita who taught my mom, I guess it was mostly her.”

“Did you do anything special for the holidays?”

“When I was younger, we’d go skating at this park near my abuelitos’ apartment. There was this baseball field that they turned into an ice rink every year. Sometimes Mami and Abuelito would join us, but it was mostly something my abuelita and I did together.”

“What did you do with your abuelito then?”

“He was the one who always took me to buy presents for Abuelita and Mami. Some years he helped me make them instead. I’m pretty sure my mom still has some of them.”

“She probably has all of them,” Olivia said with a smile. “She’s your mother. I’m sure she’s kept everything you ever made her.”

Rafael shrugged. “Probably.”

“Did you help decorate the tree?”

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Yes. The first few years, my abuelito would lift me up so I could put my ornament on a branch higher on the tree. When I got older, I could do it myself, but I always asked Abuelito to check it. He knew I didn’t need him to, but he always played along.”

“I wish I could have met them. Your abuelitos. They sound like wonderful people.”

“They were. They would have loved you and the kids.”

“Maybe we could revive some of those traditions this year?” Olivia suggested nervously. “I mean, if you want to…”

Rafael leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’d love that.”

“I think the ice-skating thing will have to wait a year, but we could decorate the tree as a family. Maybe the kids could make some ornaments, too.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“So...are we getting a real tree or a fake one?”

“Would you be okay with a real one? It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real tree...I’ll handle any cleanup required.”

“You’re going to have to get Fin or Sonny to help you get it in and set up. Maybe even Javier.”

“I’ll figure it out.”

“Do I get a say in this tree?”

“Of course, mi amor.”

“Who’s going to put the star at the top of the tree?”

“Uh, good question. Maybe I should just do it so they don’t fight.”

“Maybe Miranda could help take it out of the box and ready to be put on the tree. It has to be tested beforehand, you know. Then Noah could put it on top of the tree,” Olivia began.

“Miranda could help you make sure it looks right,” Rafael finished. “You’re brilliant.”

Olivia turned and smiled at him. “You make it sound like this is a new revelation.”

Rafael chuckled and then leaned down to kiss her. “I’ve known that for a long time, mi alma.”

Olivia pulled his head down for another kiss before turning back to face the TV. “I think Catie is asleep again now. Let’s finish the movie.”

* * *

While Javier cooked dinner, Lucia settled the four kids, all holding their respective stuffed animals, on the couch with Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie. Once the movie had their attention, she walked back to the kitchen to check in with Javier.

“Can I help with anything?” she asked.

“No, I’ve got it under control,” Javier answered. “How are the kids?”

“They’re watching a Halloween movie.”

“They all agreed on one?”

“Surprisingly, yes. Well, Miguel and Noah didn’t care as long as it was Halloween-themed. Miranda requested a bear movie for Lovey, and Julia wanted to watch Winnie the Pooh. I found the Halloween Pooh Bear movie in Miranda’s backpack and they all agreed to watch it.”

“Did Olivia or Rafael pack it?”

“I think it might have been Miranda herself,” Lucia said with a laugh. “It looked like it was shoved in there at the last second.”

Javier chuckled. “That sounds like her.”

“So, I was thinking maybe we could have everyone over for Thanksgiving.”

“Everyone?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know, Cia...Jose is the only one of my kids who has met Rafael, and that was just briefly.”

“So we’ll arrange something before then, too. I thought you wanted us all to be a family?”

Javier sighed as he turned to look at Lucia. “I do, Cia. I just....Rafael and I are still getting to know each other, are you sure it’s a good idea to add more people to the mix right now?”

“Isn’t that why we had the four kids over tonight?”

“Noah was asking about my grandkids and I told Jose that I’d watch the kids tonight, so I brought them here to meet your grandkids rather than keeping them at my apartment.”

“Maybe you should just do that, then. We can separate the kids before they get attached to each other. I’ll figure out something to say to Noah and Miranda.”

“Cia…”

“Don’t,” Lucia said sharply. “You don’t get to call me that and dangle more family in front of my face, and then just take it away like you always know what’s best. After Dante, I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with someone who thought they could just make all the decisions in the relationship.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to do.”

“It sure seems like it.”

“I love you, Lucia, you know that. I want my family to get along with yours so we can all be one big family. But I’m nervous because I want it so much. Okay?”

Lucia sighed. “I understand and I love you, too. I always wanted more kids, to give Rafi siblings, but before I could even begin to think about it, Dante started…falling apart, I guess. He changed. Instead of thinking about more children, I was thinking about how to protect the one I had. I struggled with wishing I hadn’t had him so he wouldn’t have to go through what Dante did to him, to see what he did to me, but also knowing I could never regret it because I loved him so much. I know your kids aren’t technically mine, but I can see myself loving them like they are…and I hoped that one day you could love Rafi like he’s yours.”

“Cia, I already do. Rafael, Olivia, Noah, Miranda. I love them all as if they were mine. I already love little Catie, too, even though she hasn’t been born yet.”

Lucia walked over to Javier and hugged him tightly.

“Let me check with my kids and see what their schedules are. If something works out with Rafael and Olivia’s schedules, maybe we could all meet at the park or something,” Javier suggested as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Okay.”

* * *

After dinner, Javier played a game of War with Miguel and Noah while Lucia colored with Julia and Miranda. They had put on some Cuban music on low in the background as well.

“My dad plays this song sometimes,” Noah observed as he laid his card down on top of Miguel’s and then took both cards.

“Does he play music for you a lot?” Javier asked.

“Sometimes we play his music, sometimes we play mine or Miranda’s or my mom’s.”

“We play music, too,” Miguel added. “Sometimes my mom and dad dance together.”

Noah nodded excitedly. “Mine, too,” he said before turning to Javier. “Do you and _Abuelita_ dance?”

Javier turned to Lucia. “What do you say, Cia? Shall we dance?”

“Of course. We used to dance to this song all the time,” Lucia answered as she and Javier rounded the table.

“Watch and learn, _nietos_ ,” Javier said with a laugh as he pulled Lucia into his arms and began to dance with her.

At the end of the song, he earned giggles from all four kids when he twirled Lucia and then dipped her.

“Spin me, _Abuelito_!” Julia exclaimed, rushing over to her grandfather.

“Can _we_ dance, _Abuelita_?” Noah asked.

“Of course, _nieto_ ,” Lucia answered with a smile, holding out her hands for him.

A few minutes later, Miguel joined Noah in dancing with Lucia, leaving Miranda alone at the table. Noticing the apprehensive look on her face, Javier held out his hand.

“Miranda, _chiquita_ , come dance!” he encouraged.

Smiling, Miranda hopped down from the chair and joined him and Julia in their dance.

* * *

The next morning, Lucia was getting Miranda and Noah ready to go when Jose arrived to pick up Julia and Miguel.

“Papi!” they both said excitedly, running to hug their father.

“ _Niñitos_ ,” Jose said, returning his children’s hugs. “Were you good for Lucia and _Abuelito_?”

“She said we could call her Cia like _Abuelito_ does,” Miguel replied.

“If that’s okay with you,” Lucia said as she stood and looked over at him.

“If you say it’s okay, it’s fine with me,” Jose answered. “How were they?”

“Good. The four of them watched a movie while Javi and I made dinner. Then the girls and I colored while the boys played cards.”

“Noah won,” Miguel added.

“He beat _Abuelito_?” Jose asked in mock surprise.

Miguel nodded. “It was fun.”

Jose pressed a kiss to each of his children’s heads before walking over to where Miranda and Noah were standing. Crouching in front of them, he held out his hand. “I’m Jose, Javi’s son.”

“I’m Noah, and this is Miranda,” Noah replied, shaking the older man’s hand.

“I thought this one wasn’t shy?” Jose said to Lucia, nodding his head toward Miranda.

“She’s usually not,” Lucia replied. “Miranda, _nieta_ , can you say hi to Jose?”

Miranda hugged Lovey tightly as she regarded the older man. His hair was styled similarly to her father’s, but his was darker and he had brown eyes instead of green.

“I like your bear,” Jose told her.

“Lovey,” Miranda replied.

“Lovey is her name?”

Miranda nodded. “ _Abuelita_ gave her to me.”

“Did you meet Clara?” Jose asked, referring to Julia’s stuffed animal bunny.

Miranda nodded again. “Lovey and Clara are friends now.”

“Like you and Julia?”

“Yes!”

“Maybe your dad and I can arrange a time for you two to play together again. Would you like that?”

“Yes!” Miranda repeated. When she heard her grandmother say her father’s name, followed by the sound of his voice and then her mother’s, she immediately ran around Jose and over to them. “Mommy! Daddy!”

Standing and turning, Jose saw Rafael pick up Miranda and hug her tightly before letting her lean over to hug the woman beside him, who he guessed was wife, Olivia. Noah soon joined them, holding onto a hand of each Rafael and Olivia.

“Rafi, Liv, you didn’t need to come and get them,” Lucia was saying as he approached.

“We’re taking the kids shopping for Halloween costumes, and Catie was up early, so we decided to just come and get them.”

“Here are their backpacks,” Javier said, handing the bags to Olivia. “Rafael, you remember Jose?”

Rafael nodded at the other man in greeting. “Yes. Jose, this is my wife, Olivia.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Olivia said with a smile.

“It seems like the kids are fast friends…maybe we could arrange for them to play together again sometime?”

Olivia exchanged a look with Rafael before turning back to Jose. “Sure. We’re at the park most Saturday mornings. Your dad has the address.”

“Okay, _mi corazoncito_ , _mi tiburoncito_ , let’s go before the store gets too crowded,” Rafael said to Miranda and Noah before addressing Jose again. “It was nice to see you again.”

“Purple!” Miranda said excitedly.

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to the side of her head “ _Sí, mi corazoncito_ , your costume can be purple.”

“I guess that’s our cue,” Olivia said with a laugh as she addressed Javier and Lucia. “Thank you both for taking them last night.”

“Of course,” Lucia said, hugging Rafael and then Olivia. “It was no trouble.”

* * *

As they entered the Halloween costume store, Rafael held Miranda in his arms while Olivia held Noah’s hand.

“I want Dad to help me,” Noah said, releasing Olivia’s hand.

“Daddy help _me_!” Miranda protested.

“Miranda, sweet girl, why don’t we go look for costumes, and then we can show Daddy when you find one you like?” Olivia suggested.

“Hug first?” Miranda asked.

“Hug first,” Rafael agreed, giving her a hug before setting her on her feet. “Be good for Mommy.”

Miranda reached for her mother’s hand and followed her over to a nearby section of costumes.

“Okay, _mi tiburoncito_ , let’s see what we can find,” Rafael said, leading Noah to the other side of the store.

* * *

Watching Noah look through the racks, Rafael thought the boy might be looking for something in particular when he didn’t even give some of them a second glance.

“ _Mijo_ , what are you looking for?” he asked when Noah moved onto the third row of costumes.

“ _Abuelita_ and Javier helped me look online last night and the website said they had a police officer costume that looks like one of Mom’s old uniforms,” Noah replied with a sigh. “But I don’t see it.”

Rafael looked around and smiled when he spotted what his son was looking for. Laying a hand on the boy’s shoulder, he pointed to a nearby rack. “Like that?”

Noah rushed over to the costume and looked at it carefully, smiling when he realized it was the one he was looking for.

“Do you want to try it on?” Rafael asked as he selected the correct size.

“Yes.”

* * *

On the other side of the store, Olivia was having the opposite problem with Miranda. The little girl liked too many of the costumes and was having a hard time choosing. Her only requirement was that it had purple in it, which plenty of them did.

“Have you ever dressed up for Halloween before?” she asked.

“Don’t remember,” Miranda answered.

“Well, the dress you wore to the party looks a lot like this princess one, so maybe let’s go with something different?”

“Okay,” Miranda agreed. “Wear dress again soon?”

“Soon,” Olivia promised, not wanting the little girl to give away the surprise she was planning for Rafael.

Miranda studied the other two costumes she had chosen-a witch or a unicorn. The witch costume had more purple, so she selected that one.

“This is the one you want?” Olivia checked.

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Okay, let’s go try it on.”

“Show Daddy and Noah?”

“Sure. If we can find them.”

Miranda nodded, handing her mother the costume and then happily taking her hand as they began to walk.

* * *

Stepping out of the dressing room in his costume, Noah shared a grin with his father.

“What do you think?” Rafael asked, though he already suspected he knew the answer.

“I like it!” Noah declared. When he spotted Olivia and Miranda, he called to them. “Mom! Miranda! Look!”

Looking at her son in the child’s police officer uniform, Olivia felt herself getting emotional. She was hoping one of her children would follow in her footsteps and become a police officer, and while she knew they were too young to make that decision yet, it warmed her heart to think that one day that dream might come true.

“Livia, you okay?” Rafael asked, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her close.

Olivia nodded. “He just looks so adorable and handsome,” she replied.

“Of course he does. He _is_ my son after all.” 

Olivia laughed as she rolled her eyes.

“So, what did _nuestro hija_ choose?” he asked.

“Witch!” Miranda replied, holding up her costume.

“A _purple_ witch, of course,” Olivia added before taking Miranda’s hand again. “Come on, sweet girl, I’ll help you put the costume on, then you can show Daddy and Noah.”

Miranda nodded, following her mother into the dressing room. When she emerged a few minutes later, she saw Noah had changed out of his costume and was now standing beside their father.

“I think we have another winner,” Rafael said to Olivia.

“I agree,” she replied with a smile.

* * *

A couple of weeks later, after Rafael had taken the kids trick-or-treating and she had given them their baths, Olivia sighed as she sat on the bed. Catie was now kicking, and hard. She rubbed a hand over her stomach in an effort to soothe her.

“Shh, sweetheart, I know today was a long day for us. If you stop kicking, I’ll go get Daddy and he can say goodnight to you.”

“Are you bargaining with our daughter already?” Rafael teased as he walked into the room.

“I’m trying to get her to stop kicking so hard,” Olivia answered.

Rafael sat next to her on the bed and placed his hand on her stomach, leaning over to kiss her before he spoke to their unborn child. “ _Mijita_ , you need to be nice to your mami. She makes sure you have everything you need so you can grow and be ready to meet us in just a couple of months.”

Olivia leaned her head against Rafael’s shoulder. “I’m exhausted and _you’re_ the one who took them trick-or-treating.”

“Livia, you’re seven months pregnant. The kids had a lot of energy tonight. I had to read them both two stories before they fell asleep. Also, I called Lucy; she’s coming over in the morning to help with the kids. I have court right away in the morning.”

“Do you have more work to do?”

“I could do it in here, if you don’t mind me keeping my bedside lamp on.”

“I don’t mind,” Olivia insisted.

“Do you want to take a bath?”

Olivia shook her head. “I just want to sleep.”

Rafael gave her a quick kiss before he stood. “I’m going to grab what I need and check on the kids, and then I’ll be back.”

Olivia smiled and nodded as she slid beneath the covers and laid her head on her pillow. “Love you,” she said sleepily.

“Love you, too,” Rafael replied before quietly slipping from the room.

* * *

The following afternoon, when he stopped by the precinct to check in with Fin, Rafael was surprised to see the light on in his wife’s office.

“Is Liv here?” he asked the sergeant.

“Got here shortly before you did. Said something about switching out files. Carisi was carrying a box for her,” Fin answered. “Go check on your wife, counselor. Then I can fill you both in on the latest case.”

“Thanks,” Rafael said before walking into his wife’s office.

* * *

“You called Carisi to come get you?”

Olivia lifted her head at the sound of her husband’s voice. “I needed to switch out some files and I wasn’t sure how long you’d be in court. He said it was no trouble. It gave me a chance to talk to him about another favor, too.”  
“Oh?”

Olivia nodded as she put some files in the box on her desk. “I asked him if he would come over and take a photo of you, me, and the kids for a Christmas card. I know it’s cheesy, but it’s something I’ve always kind of wanted to do.”

“I can tell you the one we give my mom will go right on the fridge where she can look at it every day.”

Olivia smiled at him. “You really don’t mind?”

Rafael shook his head as he walked over to her. “I like the idea, actually. It never crossed my mind that I’d ever have a reason to send one of those cheesy Christmas cards, but now that I have you and the kids…family of my own…I can see why so many people choose to do it. Plus, the kids are comfortable with Carisi so odds are we’ll get a better picture than if we went to some department store.”

Olivia unbuttoned his jacket and vest to reveal his suspenders. Tugging on them, she pulled him close and pressed her lips to his. “I love you,” she told him when they broke apart.

“I love you, too,” Rafael replied, stepping back to re-button his vest and jacket. “Do you have any more files that you need?”

Olivia grabbed another small stack of files before putting the top on the box. “I think that’s it for now.”

Rafael lifted the box as he nodded towards the squad room. “Let’s go chat with Fin and then I’ll take you home.”

* * *

Later that afternoon, Olivia woke from her nap to the TV reporter saying an ADA had been shot outside the courthouse earlier that afternoon. Before she had fallen asleep, Rafael had told her he was going to go back to his office for a while. Frantically reaching for her phone, she quickly called Rafael. When he didn’t answer his cell phone, she called his office. Carmen said he wasn’t in-he had stopped back for a little while before leaving again. Wondering if she had missed him telling her about a meeting, she walked downstairs to their home office. She had access to his calendar on her computer. Opening the door, she was both surprised and relieved to find him sitting at his desk, feet propped up and phone held up to his ear. A few moments later, he ended the call and stood to walk over to her.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, noticing the panicked look on her face.

Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as she could, burying her face in his shoulder.

“Livia, talk to me,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her.

“News…ADA…shot…thought…it was…you.”

“I’m sorry, _mi alma_. I didn’t realize it had made the news. I’m fine. It was ADA Samuels who was shot, and it only grazed his arm. He’s fine, already at home recovering.”

“I know you have work to do…”

Rafael shook his head as he continued to hold her close. “You and the kids are my priority now, you know that. How about I make us _medianoche_?”

“That sounds really good,” Olivia conceded, eliciting a chuckle from Rafael.

“I’ll make _medianoche_ , and then when we’re done eating, you can relax on the couch in the office while I work. Or you can work at your desk, whatever you want.”

“Relaxing on the couch while you work sounds nice. But won’t the kids be home soon?”

“Lucy said she would stay and watch them here for a while. Javier said he’d stop by with dinner, so don’t worry about that.”

“You arranged all of this while I was asleep?”

Rafael chuckled. “I did.”

“You called Javier?”

Rafael nodded as they began to walk to the kitchen. “I know he means a lot to Mami and the kids have really taken to him. I knew Mami had to work late tonight, but I thought maybe Javier would be free, so I called him. I told him he could use our kitchen if he needs to. The kids love to help cook.”

* * *

A couple of hours later, Olivia heard the door to the office open followed by Miranda’s excited shout. Knowing Rafael was on the phone with McCoy, she quickly got the little girl to quiet down. Setting her book down, she led Miranda from the room and quietly shut the door behind her.

“Daddy is on the phone, sweet girl,” she explained. “He’ll be out to say hi to you when he’s finished, okay?”

Miranda nodded, but Olivia could tell she felt bad.

“Why don’t you color a picture for the office?” Olivia suggested. “Maybe Noah will help you.”

“Help with what?” Noah asked, only having heard the second part of his mother’s suggestion.

“Daddy busy,” Miranda said with a sigh. “I was loud.”

“I thought maybe you and Miranda could color a picture for the office,” Olivia repeated.

“Sure,” Noah agreed. “ _Abuelita_ gave us lots of new colors, right, Miranda?”

Miranda smiled as she thought of all the new crayons. “Yes!”

“Good. You two color and make sure to be good for Lucy. I’m going to go check on your dad.”

* * *

Walking back into the office, Olivia saw Rafael was still talking with McCoy, but he was now sitting on the couch with his feet propped on the coffee table. When he looked over at her and lifted his arm, she snuggled into his side. When he finished the phone call a few minutes later, he pocketed his phone and then tipped her face up for a kiss.

“Where’s _mi corazoncito_?” he asked.

“She and _nuestro tiburoncito_ are coloring. I told her I would send you out when you were done with your phone call. What did Jack want?”

“He wanted to know if I would be willing to get warrants for ADA Samuels’ unit if needed. He luckily didn’t have any upcoming trials, so when he comes back next week, he won’t have to worry about that.”

“What did you tell him?”

“I said I would. It’s just for tonight. Starting tomorrow morning, ADA Andersen will be back and he’ll take over until ADA Samuels is ready to return.”

“So…when is he going to promote you?”

Rafael chuckled. “Who said anything about a promotion?”

“You said there’s an open Executive ADA position in Manhattan. Jack should give it to you. You deserve it, Rafa.”

“If I took it, I’m not sure I’d be able to stay with SVU.”

“I doubt that.”

“Is that so?”

Olivia lifted her head and smiled. “Yes. You can be _very_ persuasive when you want to be, Barba.”

Rafael laughed at the familiar phrase and then kissed her. “As as you, _Barba_.”

* * *

When he entered the living room, Miranda and Noah were putting the finishing touches on their picture.

“Hi, Rafael,” Lucy greeted.

“Hi, Lucy,” Rafael replied, stopped from saying anything else by his daughter launching herself at him.

“Daddy!” she exclaimed.

Rafael scooped her up into his arms and pressed a loud kiss to her cheek, making her giggle. After setting her back down, he walked over to Noah and picked him up to hug him tightly and then lightly tickle his side, eliciting a laugh from him.

“Look!” Miranda said, presenting the picture to Rafael.

Rafael admired the picture with a smile. “It’s perfect,” he declared.

“Lucy said Javi is coming over?” Noah asked.

“That’s right. He’s going to make us dinner.”

“Do you think he’d like a picture, too?”

“I think he’d love one,” Rafael answered, knowing that was the truth. He knew Javier had already started to bond with the kids and he was sure the older man would love a picture from Noah and Miranda.

“Where’s Mommy?” Miranda asked.

“She’s resting. Lucy is here to play with you and Noah for a while.”

Miranda shook her head. “Want Mommy.”

“Mommy needs to rest, _corazoncito_.”

Miranda’s face fell. “Want Mommy.”

“Mommy is right here, sweet girl,” Olivia said as she approached. Taking a seat on the couch, she pulled the little girl up beside her and hugged her close.

“Did something happen at school?” Rafael asked, looking between his son and daughter.

“One of the older kids said we couldn’t be brother and sister because we don’t look alike,” Noah answered. “I told him that wasn’t true, that Miranda _is_ my sister.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to Noah’s curls before taking a seat on the other side of Miranda.

“Noah is my brother,” she insisted.

“Yes, he is,” Rafael confirmed. “He will always be your big brother.”

“Love Noah.”

Noah looked back at his sister with a smile. “Love you, Miranda,” he said.

Rafael reached over and ran a hand over his son’s hair, silently telling him he was proud of him.

“I had our Halloween pictures printed,” Olivia said, changing the subject. “Why don’t you two help me choose and let your dad get back to work?”

“Hug first?” Miranda requested.

Rafael smiled. “Of course,” he replied, hugging first her, then Noah and Olivia, before walking back to the home office.

He smiled when he heard the sounds of Miranda’s giggles, followed by Noah’s, reach his ears. He truly loved the family that he and Olivia had built. Balancing work and family life was a challenge some days, but he always found a way to make it work. Olivia and the kids were more than worth it.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what I was working on when thousand_miles decided I needed to write "The Baptism" :) the muse was finally willing to go back and finish this chapter, so I can finally post it. More of a move-things-along type chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless :)
> 
> Also, Special thanks to Sandra for helping me with some of the Spanish in this chapter.

* * *

A few weeks later, as he was finishing up some paperwork for SVU’s latest case, Rafael was surprised when McCoy showed up in his office. 

“Jack,” he said as he stood. “Is everything okay?”

“I want to know why you didn’t apply for the Executive ADA position.”

Rafael blinked in surprise. “With Liv being so close to her due date, I didn’t feel it was right to take on the additional work. You know I’m taking some personal time after Catie is born, too.”

“I know. Samuels and Andersen have both said they would help cover for you while you’re gone. I’m taking them to meet the SVU team later this week.”

“I don’t want to leave SVU, either. I have a good team…”

Jack held up his hand. “I’m aware. I was expecting to see your application on my desk and was disappointed when I didn’t.”

“I...don’t know what to say to that,” Rafael said with a shrug. 

“Do you not want the job?”

“I have to think about what’s best for my family. My life isn’t just about me anymore.”

“There would be a salary increase. Wouldn’t  _ that _ help your family?”

“But at what cost? Less time with them?”

“Rafael, you’re the best prosecutor in the city. This position should be yours.”

Rafael sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want it...I just feel like I  _ can’t _ right now. Liv disagrees, though. She thinks you should just give it to me.”

Jack smiled. “She’s a very intelligent woman. You’re a lucky man.”

“She is...and I am,” Rafael confirmed. 

“I can’t give you the promotion if you don’t apply.”

“Jack…”

“Rafael. Apply for the position. By the end of the day. Nothing has to fundamentally change. I’m still willing to be flexible with the amount of time you spend here in the office as long as you don’t miss court and continue to do your job. I’ve already approved your time off and made arrangements for two other excellent ADAs to cover for you. SVU will be in good hands. We can figure out the rest when you return. I’m making my announcement tomorrow morning at the monthly meeting.”

“Noted.”

As he was about to tell Rafael to call Olivia, Jack smiled when he heard her talking to Carmen. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see him. 

“Am I interrupting?” she asked, looking between the two of them.

“No, Jack was just leaving,” Rafael replied as he crossed the room. 

“End of the day, Rafael,” Jack repeated. Turning to Olivia, he smiled and nodded. “Good to see you again, Olivia.”

* * *

“What was that all about?” Olivia asked once Jack had left. 

Rafael sighed, leading her over to the couch to sit down. Drawing her into his side, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “He wants me to apply for the Executive ADA position.”

Olivia placed a hand on his leg. “I thought you wanted it?”

“I  _ do _ , I just...it’s more responsibility, probably more time I’d have to spend working...and I don’t want to miss any time with the kids.”

“What did Jack say?”

“He said nothing has to fundamentally change, I can still work from home sometimes, and the rest we can figure out when I get back after Catie is born. He wants to make the announcement at the meeting tomorrow morning.”

“It sounds like he wants to give it to  _ you _ , Rafa.”

“I got that impression, too.”

“So, what’s the problem?” Olivia asked, pulling back slightly so she could look at him.

“Is this the right move for our family?”

Olivia raised her hand to his cheek and kissed him softly. “We’ll figure it out, just like we always do. You deserve this. I think you should go for it. If you need to formally apply in order for Jack to give you the position, then that’s what you should do. If Dodds offered me Captain, would you tell me to turn it down?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Do you  _ want _ this position?”

Rafael rested his forehead against hers. “Yes.”

“Then go for it. The kids and I will be right by your side. We’ll figure it all out together, just like we always do.”

“Okay,” Rafael conceded before kissing her. “I guess I have an application to submit, then.”

“I believe you promised Catie and me lunch?”

“Shit.”

“Rafael.”

“Olivia.”

“I had Carmen order it before I came in,” Olivia confessed with a laugh. “I knew the meeting with Jack would throw you off.”

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

Olivia pulled him close for another kiss. “You can make it up to us by cuddling with me right now and telling her another story about your childhood later.”

“Deal,” Rafael replied, kissing her again before pulling back and letting her settle against his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder and her arm over his stomach. 

“So, Noah asked me an interesting question this morning.”

“Oh?”

“He wanted to know if your mom and Javier were going to get married.”

“What did you say?”

“I said I didn’t know, and then I asked him why.”

“What did  _ he _ say?”

“He said that since he doesn’t have an  _ abuelito _ , he thought maybe Javier could be that to him. But he didn’t know if he had to wait until he and your mom got married or not.”

“We had a similar conversation a couple of weeks ago.”

“I know. I think it’s bothering him. You know both he and Miranda love Javier. As do I.”

“I know. I do, too. He’s been more of a father to be in the last few months than my biological father was in the years I lived at home.”

“I think Noah wants to call him  _ abuelito _ , but he doesn’t want to upset you.”

“Why would it upset me?”

Olivia shrugged. “I think maybe he sees how you aren’t as close with him as you are your mom and he doesn’t really understand it.”

Rafael sighed. “I think maybe Javier and I need to talk.”

Olivia nodded in agreement. “I think that’s a good idea.”

* * *

"Rafael," Javier said in surprise when he saw the younger man standing outside his apartment. "Is everything okay?"

"Can we talk?"

Javier nodded, gesturing for Rafael to enter before closing the door behind him.

"Is something bothering you?" Javier asked as he and Rafael took seats on the couch.

"More like bothering my son," Rafael answered. 

Javier was immediately concerned. "Is he okay?"

"He's still just a little boy, and I want to protect him. He tends to worry, and he gets attached easily. He's spent a lot of time with you over the last few months."

"You know I'd never hurt him."

"I know. Liv and I have done our best to make sure he has a happy childhood and knows he has family who will always be there for him. Neither of us exactly had a great childhood, so it takes us a bit longer than our kids to trust."

"Noah and Miranda are great kids. I'm sure Catie will be, too. I hope you and Liv, and the kids, know that I'm here for all of you."

Rafael nodded, taking a breath before continuing. "You've been more of a father to me in the short time we've known each other than my biological one ever was. I think Noah picked up on that, and you've treated him like your grandson since you two met."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Noah asked me if you were going to be his  _ abuelito _ . He asked Liv the same question this morning. I need to protect my son's heart for as long as I can, so if that's not something you want, or are comfortable with, then I need to know."

"Rafael, I love your mom, and she told me right away that she now had grandchildren. We both knew that the other's grandkids might think of the other as their grandparent eventually. You and your family already mean so much to me. I don't expect you to call me Dad or Papi or anything like that, but I think of you and your family as my own. I would love to be your kids'  _ abuelito _ . If that's what you and  _ they _ want."

"I know it's what Noah wants. Miranda hasn't said anything, but I think she feels the same way."

"Speaking of Miranda, I found something the other day that I thought she might like."

"Oh?"

Javier nodded, standing to walk into his bedroom. He returned with two stuffed animals. 

"Is that Lumpy?" Rafael asked, indicating the purple animal. 

"Yes."

"She'll love it."

"I got a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal for Noah."

"Is Lumpy a birthday present for Miranda?"

Javier shrugged. "It could be."

"Did you buy her something else?"

Javier smiled. "I have my eye on a few things."

Rafael chuckled. "I think my mother is a bad influence."

"She's actually better than me about buying the grandkids things."

"She's pretty bad."

"I barely made it down the aisle from Lumpy before I turned around and grabbed him," Javier confessed with a laugh.

"Mami is coming over for dinner tonight. Would you like to join us? You can give the stuffed animals to the kids."

"I'd like that."

* * *

Walking into his home with Javier behind him, Rafael heard the telltale sound of little feet running toward him. Setting his briefcase down, he quickly caught Miranda in his arms, lifting her and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Daddy!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him tightly. 

"Dad! You're home early!" Noah said excitedly when he spotted where his sister had gone. 

"I brought a visitor, too," Rafael said as Noah ran over and wrapped his arms around his waist.

" _ Hola, tiburoncito _ ," Javier greeted.

" _ Hola _ ," Noah replied, though he made no move to let go of his father. 

"Where's Mommy?" Rafael asked his children. 

"She's resting on the couch.  _ Abuelita  _ is cooking."

Shifting Miranda to his hip and taking Noah's hand, Rafael began to walk down the hall, indicating for Javier to follow him.

* * *

After dinner, everyone relaxed together in the living room. Miranda had crawled onto Rafael's lap and Noah was leaning against Olivia's side, all four sitting together on the couch, while Lucia and Javier sat on the loveseat together. Both kids looked about ready to fall asleep. 

"Javi, do you want to give the kids their presents now?" Rafael asked the man he was sure would soon become his stepfather. 

Javier looked a little surprised by the nickname, but then he smiled and nodded, reaching for the bag at his feet. "Noah and Miranda have to close their eyes."

Once the two kids had done as he instructed, Javier put a stuffed animal in each of their laps. He nodded to Rafael when he was ready for them to open their eyes.

"Open," Rafael said. 

Opening her eyes, Miranda gasped. "Lumpy!!" She exclaimed as she hugged the animal tightly. 

"Pooh bear," Noah said with a wide smile before copying his sister and hugging the animal tightly.

"I think they're a hit," Olivia observed with a laugh.

"What do you say to  _ abuelito _ ?" Rafael asked.

"Thank you!" Miranda immediately replied, still hugging Lumpy tightly.

Noah looked between his parents, seemingly unsure how to answer. 

"It's okay," Rafael said to him. "You can call Javi your  _ abuelito  _ if you want."

Noah nodded, temporarily leaving his mother's side to walk over to Javier and hug him. " _ Gracias, Abuelito _ ."

" _ De nada, nieto _ ."

"Don't start," Olivia said to her mother-in-law. "I'm already emotional."

Lucia let out a watery laugh. "I think maybe I need a hug, too."

Turning to his grandmother, Noah hugged her tightly as well. "Better?"

Lucia smiled and nodded. "Much."

Noah smiled as he returned to Olivia's side. "Look, Mom. It's the one we saw in the store the other day."

"I think knowing just what your grandchildren want is a special trait shared by all the best  _ abuelitos _ ."

"I have the best  _ abuelitos _ ."

Olivia smiled and nodded. "You do."

"Are they going to stay with us while you're in the hospital?"

"Would you like them to?"

Noah nodded. Olivia ran a hand over his hair and pressed a kiss to his head before turning to Lucia and Javier. "Are you two okay with that?"

"Of course," Javier answered. "Whatever makes the kids happy."

"Okay, you two, it's bedtime. Say goodnight to  _ abuelita  _ and  _ abuelito _ ."

* * *

A few days later, as he was writing down his thoughts on the case he’d been looking through, Rafael heard the door to the home office open. Assuming it was Olivia, he didn’t look up from his notes. 

“Dad?”

Rafael set his pen down and lifted Noah onto his lap. Noticing the tear tracks on the boy’s face, he was immediately concerned. “What’s wrong,  _ mijo _ ?”

Noah looked at his father and tried to find the right words, but could only bury his face in his chest and begin to cry again. 

Hugging his son tightly, Rafael rubbed his back soothingly, giving him time to tell him what was wrong. “Shh,  _ mijo _ ,  _ está bien _ .”

“You missed...our time,” Noah managed a few minutes later. 

Rafael frowned and reached for his phone. When he saw the time, he mentally cursed. He hadn’t double-checked the alarm before attempting to get some work done that morning and had worked through the time he had promised Noah they could have together. 

“Are you...going to...forget about...me...when Catie...comes home?” Noah continued.

Rafael pressed a kiss to his head. “Never,  _ mijo _ .  _ Never _ . I’m sorry I missed our time. I must not have set my alarm correctly. How about you help me with dinner and then we can watch a movie afterwards?”

Noah perked up at this. “What are we making?”

“What would you like?”

“ _ Arroz con pollo _ ?” 

Rafael chuckled and pressed another kiss to Noah’s head. “I should have guessed.”

“Rafa? Have you seen Noah?” Olivia asked as she entered the room.

“Dad said I can help him make dinner,” Noah said from his spot on Rafael’s lap. “And he said he’d watch a movie with me.”

“Honey, your dad needs to work…” Olivia began, stopping when she saw Rafael shake his head.

“I’m done for the day,” he said, standing and settling Noah on his hip. “ _ Mi tiburoncito _ and I have cooking to do and a movie to watch.”

Smiling, Olivia walked over and ran a hand over Noah’s hair. “You know some people call your dad  _ el tiburón _ ?”

Noah looked over at Rafael for confirmation. 

“It’s true,” he said. “Although it’s been a while since anyone has called me that.”

“Is that why you call me  _ tiburoncito _ ? Because you’re  _ el tiburón  _ and I’m your son?”

“Well, it started because you kept telling  _ Tía  _ Maria that you were  _ un tiburón _ .”

“I miss her.”

“Me, too,  _ mijo _ . Maybe we can call her tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Noah agreed. Turning to his mother, he asked his next question. “Can I have a hug?”

“Of course, sweet boy,” Olivia replied, reaching over to hug him and press a kiss to his temple. “Be a good sous chef.”

“I will,” Noah promised. 

“Where's  _ nuestro corazoncito _ ?” Rafael asked.

“She and Lumpy are watching his Halloween movie.”

“Lovey didn’t want to watch?”

“She’s there, too.”

“But it’s not Halloween-time anymore,” Noah said with a frown.

“It’s not Christmastime, either, but we watched  _ Elf _ last week.”

Noah giggled as he shrugged. “I guess.”

Rafael chuckled. “Come on,  _ mijo _ , let’s start dinner before we all die of starvation.”

“Pretty sure your snacks make sure that doesn’t happen,” Olivia teased as they all walked out of the room, eliciting another giggle from Noah.

Rafael rolled his eyes at her. “Whatever you say, Livia.”

* * *

“Daddy!” Miranda shouted excitedly when she saw her father. “Look! Lumpy!”

Rafael ran a hand over her hair as he passed by. “I see that. Is Lumpy liking his movie?”

Miranda nodded. “Lovey, too.”

“Of course. You three finish the movie, Noah and I are going to make dinner.”

Miranda nodded, turning her attention back to the movie. When Olivia sat down beside her, she immediately cuddled into her side. 

“I guess Mom and Miranda are going to have some time together,” Rafael commented as he set Noah on his feet near the kitchen. “Ready,  _ mijo _ ?”

Noah nodded. “Ready, Dad.”

* * *

After dinner, Rafael gave Noah his bath and then they settled on the couch to watch their movie. When Miranda hopped onto the couch after her bath, he saw him frown. 

“She just wanted to say goodnight,” Olivia explained. “In case she falls asleep before your movie is over.”

Rafael hugged his daughter and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “ _ Buenas noches, mija _ . Be good for Mommy.”

“Love you.”

“Love you, too,  _ mi corazoncito _ .”

“Love Noah,” Miranda said, reaching for her brother. 

“Love Miranda,” Noah replied, hugging her. “Night.”

Smiling, Miranda hopped off the couch and took Olivia’s outstretched hand. Pressing  _ play _ on the movie once more, Rafael pulled Noah onto his lap and smiled when the boy rested his head against his chest. Before the movie was over, the little boy was asleep. Carefully standing, Rafael carried him to bed before checking on Miranda and then joining Olivia in theirs. 

* * *

A few days later, as she was changing out files in her office again, Olivia looked up at the sound of a knock on her door. Expecting Rafael, she opened her mouth to tell him she wasn’t ready yet when she saw someone else standing at her door. 

“Mike,” she said with a smile as she walked over to hug him. “What are you doing here?”

“I was having lunch with my dad and he said you sometimes stop in to switch out files since you’re working from home now. I thought I’d swing by and see if I could catch you. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your party.”

Olivia waved her hand. “You had plans and the party was kind of last minute. Your dad brought the gift from you and Alice, though.”

“Heard you’re having a girl.”

Olivia smiled as she placed a hand on her stomach. “Yes. Her name is Catalina. Catie for short.”

“I’m happy for you, Liv. How does Barba feel about adding another kid to your family?”

“The pregnancy was a bit of a surprise for both of us, as we had just taken in Miranda and knew we wanted to keep her. But not keeping the baby wasn’t an option, either. He’s happy about it, but he worries a lot.”

Mike chuckled. “He always has, Liv. He’s been your partner for a while now.”

“He has,” Olivia agreed. “How’s the joint terrorism task force treating you?”

“Good. I learned a lot from you. I’m glad I stayed with SVU as long as I did, even though my father disagreed. Oh, and I have a surprise for you.”

“You know how I feel about surprises.”

“I think you’ll like this one,” Mike continued. “My father mentioned you were looking for another detective to join your squad so you aren’t so short-staffed, especially with both you  _ and _ Rollins going on maternity leave soon.”

“I’ll be back from mine by the time she leaves for hers.”

“You never know. Babies have a mind of their own. At least that’s what my mother tells me.”

“Wait...are you and Alice?”

Mike shook his head. “No, not yet. Stop stalling.”

“Okay, I give up. What is this surprise?” 

“Surprise,” Mike called into the squad room. 

A few moments later, Olivia saw a familiar face walk into the room.

“Nick? What are you doing here?” she asked as she hugged them.

“I’m your not-so-new detective,” Nick replied.

“I thought you retired?” 

“Mike talked to his dad, who pulled some strings to get me reinstated. I was surprised; especially considering how much he  _ didn’t _ like me when I was here.”

“I convinced him that he would save on training costs by hiring someone with previous SVU experience. You know how he gets about reducing costs,” Mike said, eliciting laughter from the other occupants of the room.

“Where’s Barba?” Nick asked. “I’m surprised he’s left your side at this point.”

“If I had my way, I wouldn’t. But she gets annoyed when people hover too much.”

Nick turned to greet his friend. “I knew you couldn’t be too far away.”

Rafael rolled his eyes, but Olivia could tell he was happy to see Nick. They were good friends who bickered like brothers. Their similar backgrounds had made them fast friends and Olivia knew Rafael had missed having his friend around. 

“Wait...what about Zara and Gil?” Olivia asked.

“I have custody of Zara...Maria is off somewhere with her latest boyfriend. As for Gil...Cynthia and I got together when we were out in California and I convinced her to give New York another try.”

“As much as I would love to continue with this...family reunion...Olivia and I have plans,” Rafael said. Turning to his wife, he nodded his head towards the box on her desk. “Ready to go?”

“I just need a couple more files,” Olivia replied, walking over to her desk and quickly putting them in the box. Placing the cover on top, she pushed it towards Rafael. “Now I’m ready.”

Rafael nodded, picking up the box and following the group out of the office. 

“Fin, can you make sure Nick has everything he needs?” Olivia asked her sergeant. 

“Sure, Liv,” Fin replied. 

Olivia turned back to Mike, placing a hand on his arm. “It was good to see you. Don’t be a stranger.”

“You, too, Liv. Congratulations again, both of you,” Mike replied, looking between Olivia and Rafael.

Rafael nodded his head. “Thank you,” he said before turning to his wife. “Come on, Liv. We’re going to be late for lunch with Marisol and Carlos.”

“I’m sure they’ll understand if we are, considering they know I’m nearly eight months pregnant.”

* * *

The next few weeks passed in a bit of a blur. Rafael was busy with his cases and working out his new responsibilities as EADA with McCoy. He worked from home whenever he could, which made it easier to spend time with his family. 

Olivia was going into the precinct less and less as she got closer to her due date, trying to stay up-to-date but also letting Fin handle the day-to-day things. Nick was doing well and having the extra help eased some of her worries about the department. 

Noah and Miranda had finally met the rest of their new cousins, and as with Julia and Miguel, they hit it off right away. Javier officially moved out of his apartment and in with Lucia, and they were planning a large family Thanksgiving to celebrate. Miranda’s birthday was just a couple of weeks later and the little girl was getting increasingly excited about it. 

* * *

On Thanksgiving Day, Olivia was packing Miranda’s backpack when she heard the little girl begin to cry. Walking into the living room, she saw her holding Lovey tightly. 

“Miranda, sweet girl, what’s wrong?” 

“Lovey hurt, Mommy,” Miranda replied.

“What happened?”

“Her leg hurt.”

“Can you show me where?”

Miranda reluctantly released her hold on the bear, showing Olivia where a seam on the bear’s leg had come apart. 

“Ah. I think I know just the thing to make her feel better. Can I borrow her for a little bit?”

Miranda reached for her other trusted stuffed animal, Lumpy. Holding him tightly, she nodded. 

“I’ll bring her back soon, I promise,” Olivia said, reaching out to run her hand over Miranda’s hair. “You play with your shapes and she’ll be back before you know it.”

Miranda nodded again, trusting her mother. Setting Lumpy in her lap, she reached for the shape sorter while Olivia took Lovey upstairs. 

* * *

When she returned to the living room a few minutes later, Olivia was happy to see that Miranda was still content playing with the shape sorter while Paw Patrol played in the background.

“Lovey is all better now,” Olivia said as she handed her daughter the bear.

Miranda hugged Lovey close. “Mommy's the best,” she declared.

Olivia smiled, running a hand over Miranda’s hair. “Thank you, sweet girl.”

* * *

Just as she had finished packing Miranda’s backpack, Olivia felt an arm slip around her waist and a kiss pressed to her cheek. 

“I would have done that,” Rafael told her. 

“I know, but you were reading with Noah and Miranda was content in the living room. At least until she discovered Lovey was hurt.”

“How did that happen?”

Olivia shrugged. “I’m not sure. It was an easy fix, though.”

“Noah and I packed his backpack. Now we just have to get  _ nuestra hija _ ready.”

“Is Noah ready?”

Rafael nodded. “Just needs to put his shoes on. Why don’t you spend some time with him and I’ll take care of Miranda?”

“I think I’m going to take you up on that offer,” Olivia replied, turning her head to kiss him. 

* * *

Walking into the living room, Rafael scooped Miranda up into his arms and began to carry her upstairs. 

“Want Mommy,” she protested.

“Mommy is spending some time with Noah before we go to  _ abuelita y abuelito’s _ .”

“¿ _ Morado _ ?” 

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to his daughter’s head. “ _Sí, corazoncito,_ _morado_.”

Miranda laid her head on Rafael’s shoulder. “ _ Morado _ ,” she whispered with a smile.

* * *

After setting Miranda down on her bed, Rafael looked through Miranda’s dresser for her favorite purple shirt. He knew Olivia had washed it a couple of days beforehand and the girl hadn’t worn it since. When he found it, he also pulled out the black pants she always wore with it and turned to his daughter with a smile. 

“ _ Morado _ ,” he said.

“ _ ¡Morado! _ ” Miranda replied excitedly.

“We need to brush your hair, too,  _ mija _ .” When Miranda simply frowned, he continued. “You want to be pretty like Mommy, right?”

Miranda nodded. 

“Then we need to brush your hair. And your teeth.”

Miranda frowned again. 

“No brush, no purple,” Rafael told her, doing his best to remain stern despite his daughter looking at him with her brown eyes that reminded him so much of Olivia’s. 

“ _Abrazo_ _primero_?” Miranda asked.

Rafael smiled and nodded. “ _ Sí, abrazo primero _ .”

* * *

“How did reading go this morning?” Olivia asked as she took a seat on the couch next to Noah.

“Good. Dad said I’m getting better. Maybe you could read with me next time?”

“I’d love to.”

“Do I still get to pick out a present for Miranda for her birthday?”

“Yes. Did you have something in mind?”

“Dad and I found out that Lumpy is in another movie besides the Halloween one. Maybe I could get her that?”

Olivia pressed a kiss to his hair. “That’s perfect, sweet boy.”

“Where is Catie going to sleep when she comes home?”

“With your dad and me at first. After that, we’re not sure yet. Why?”

Noah shrugged. “Maybe I could have the room by Dad’s office and then Catie could have my room?”

“Is that what you want?”

Noah shrugged again. “Catie will need to be close to you and Dad...and Miranda is still little, too…”

Olivia hugged him close. “I’ll talk to your dad about it. There’s a bed in there now, so maybe you should try sleeping in there a couple of nights before you make your final decision. You’re a good big brother, my sweet boy. But if you’re not comfortable in the other room, I want you to tell us, okay? Dad and I can keep Catie with us for a while.”

“Okay,” Noah promised. “Will  _ abuelita _ have pie?”

Olivia smiled at the sudden subject change and at how much that question sounded like something Rafael would ask. Like father, like son, she supposed. “I’m sure she will.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had most of this written for a while, but then I got distracted by plot bunnies wanting me to write one-shots. Now that those are written and posted, I was able to finish this chapter. 
> 
> Not a lot of time movement in this chapter, and a bit shorter than usual, but I thought a family fluff chapter was in order :)
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Walking into his mother’s house, Rafael smiled when he heard the music being played in the background along with her laughter and the scents of her cooking. He saw that Jose and his family were already there as well, as were Laura and her daughter. 

“Want to play, Daddy,” Miranda said when she spotted Julia and Elena. 

“Go ahead,” Rafael told her, running a hand over her hair before turning to his wife. “You can go relax, Livia. I’m going to go let Mami know we’re here.”

“I’ll go with you,” Olivia replied. Turning to Noah, she said, “You can go play, too, if you want.”

Noah smiled and nodded, joining his sister and new cousins in the nearby living room. 

* * *

“Rafi, Livy,” Lucia said with a smile as she saw them enter the kitchen. “I’d hug you both, but my hands are full of dough.”

Rafael bent to press a kiss to his mother’s cheek. “I guess I can tell my son that his worries about pie are unfounded.”

“Noah was worried about pie?” Javier asked, looking up from the apple he’d been cutting.

“He loves apple pie,” Olivia explained with a laugh.

“So does Javi,” Lucia revealed. “Rafi just likes dessert in general.”

At Rafael’s slightly annoyed look, Olivia laughed and wrapped her arm around his waist. “You know we love you, Rafa.”

Rafael wrapped his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to his side, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I know,” he assured her.

“Go relax,  _ mijos _ ,” Javier said. “Cia and I have this under control.”

Olivia placed a hand on Lucia’s arm, gaining the older woman’s attention. “Thank you for doing all of this, Luci.”

“ _ Mija _ , it’s no trouble,” Lucia replied with a smile. “I’m just glad all of you could make it today.”

“Marisol and her family will be here in a little while,” Javier added. “Tony’s family always does Thanksgiving brunch.”

“We should check on the kids anyway,” Rafael said to his wife. 

Olivia nodded, letting Rafael lead her out of the room. 

* * *

When they entered the living room, they saw Noah playing with Miguel while Julia and Elena watched the movie playing on the TV. Miranda was sitting at Isabel’s feet while the older woman pulled her hair into a ponytail. 

“I hope you don’t mind,” Isabel said. “She kept pushing at her hair, so I convinced her to let me put it in a ponytail like Julia’s hair.”

Olivia smiled and shook her head. “Not at all. I tried to convince her this morning to let me put it up, but she refused.”

“Papi said you got a promotion,” Jose said to Rafael as he and Olivia took seats next to each other on the couch. “ _ Felicidades _ .”

“ _ Gracias _ ,” Rafael replied. 

“Are you still in the same office?” Isabel asked.

Rafael nodded. “Yes. I’m still with SVU, I just have some additional responsibilities. Right now, I’m working with the ADA who will be covering for me while I’m gone for a little while after Catie is born. When I get back, I’ll be supervising other junior ADAs and helping them gain some trial experience. At least, that’s the plan for right now. My boss may change his mind by then.”

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Jack wouldn’t take you away from SVU and you know it.”

Rafael chuckled. “I’d kind of like to be a fly on the wall if he ever tried, though.”

“Why is that?” Jose asked.

Olivia exchanged a smile with Rafael before turning to Jose. “ _ Our _ squad is rather protective of us. We’ve built a good team.” 

“Are these people the same ones we’ve heard Miranda and Noah talk about?”

“Amanda, Sonny, Erin, Fin, and now, once again, Nick.”

“Who’s  _ Tía  _ Rita then? I thought Papi said you didn’t have any siblings?”

“Rita is my oldest friend. We met in college. She’s also dating Fin,” Rafael explained. 

“Before Rafa, I didn’t have much of an extended family to speak of, so my friends became my family,” Olivia added. 

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Isabel replied, smiling when Miranda stood and walked over to her father, climbing onto his lap and resting her head against his chest. 

“Tired, Daddy,” Miranda said, snuggling closer as Rafael wrapped his arms around her. 

Olivia reached over and rubbed her leg. “Someone had an early morning.”

“Did you pack Lovey or Lumpy?” Rafael asked her.

“No,” Olivia answered regretfully. 

“Want Lovey,” Miranda cried. 

“Isn’t this Lovey?” Jose asked, taking the stuffed bear out of Noah’s nearby backpack.

“Lovey!” Miranda exclaimed, reaching for the bear. 

Jose stood and gave the bear to the girl he now considered his niece. “ _ Está bien, chiquita _ .”

Mirand sniffled as she hugged Lovey close. Rubbing her back, Rafael looked at Jose and mouthed ‘thank you’. 

Jose smiled and nodded. “I’ll go see if I can find a blanket for her.”

“I think your Miranda has a new fan,” Isabel said with a laugh.

Rafael pressed a kiss to his daughter’s head. “She’s a charmer when she wants to be.”

“Just like her father,” Olivia said. 

“ _ Mija _ , do you want to lay down in the bed?” Rafael asked 

Miranda shook her head. 

“How did Lovey get into  _ Noah’s _ backpack?” Olivia asked her husband.

Rafael shrugged. “Noah,  _ mijo _ , come here a minute?”

Hearing his father’s voice, Noah stood and walked over to his parents. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Did you pack Lovey?” Olivia asked him.

“I thought Miranda might want her…” Noah explained, looking between Olivia and Rafael apprehensively.

Olivia ran a hand over his hair and pressed a kiss to his head. “You’re a good big brother, sweet boy.”

“Is Miranda okay?”

“She’s just tired,” Rafael explained. 

“I thought we were going to play Lego?” 

“We’ll play later, I promise.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“What’s this I hear about Lego?” Jose asked as he returned, handing the blanket he’d located to Olivia so she could wrap it around Miranda. 

Noah’s eyes lit up as he looked up at Jose. “You like Lego?” 

“Miguel and I  _ love _ Lego.”

“Really?”

Jose smiled and nodded. “Really. I happen to know that  _ abuelito _ just bought a new Lego set to keep here, too. Should we start it and your dad can help us with it later?”

“Yes!” Noah agreed excitedly. 

“Hey, you three aren’t the only Lego fans here,” Laura said, standing and pushing her brother’s shoulder in mock annoyance.

“You’re so short, I forgot,” Jose replied, eliciting a giggle from Noah and an eye-roll from Laura.

“Ignore him,” Laura told Noah. “He’s kind of a pain.”

“You’re just mad that Papi told  _ me _ where the Lego set is.”

Laura rolled her eyes again. “Cia told  _ me _ where Papi put it.”

This time it was Rafael’s turn to roll his eyes. “So, go get the Lego set. If you wake up my daughter, I’ll let you two deal with her crankiness.”

“About time someone speaks the truth around here,” a new voice cut in.

Olivia shared a look with Isabel and hid her laughter behind her hand. 

“ _ Hola _ , Marisol,” Rafael greeted with a smile. 

“ _ Hola _ , Rafi,” Marisol replied. “Did they wake  _ tu corazoncito _ ?” 

Rafael looked down at his daughter, who was now fast asleep, and then back up at Marisol. “No, she’s out.”

“She’s a pretty sound sleeper,” Olivia added, tucking the blanket more securely around her daughter.

“Maybe I should take her to her room,” Rafael suggested.

“She looks pretty comfortable where she is.”

“She really does,” Marisol agreed, bending to hug Olivia as Jose went to get the Lego set. 

“Sorry, Raf,” Laura apologized with a shrug. “Sometimes he can be such a pain.”

“How are you feeling, Liv?” Marisol asked.

“Good. Hungry, but good.”

“Do you want me to make you a sandwich or something?”

Olivia shook her head. “You don’t need to do that.”

“You’re family. Family takes care of each other.”

“We aren’t going to be eating for at least another hour or so,” Rafael said to his wife. “If you’re hungry now, you should eat something.”

Olivia turned back to Marisol with a smile. “A sandwich would be wonderful, thank you.”

“Of course. I’ll go see what I can find.”

* * *

“Sol,  _ mija _ , what are you looking for?” Javier asked as he watched his older daughter rummage through the fridge.

“Liv is hungry,” She explained. “I offered to make her a sandwich.”

“There’s some ham and cheese on the top shelf,” Lucia told her. 

Marisol reached for the ingredients and then looked around for the bread. She wasn’t as familiar with this kitchen as the one in her father’s old apartment. 

“In the cupboard,” Lucia said, nodding toward the right side of the kitchen.

“Thanks, Cia,” Marisol replied, grabbing the bread and a plate before quickly making the sandwich and walking back to the living room. 

“Hey, why are you crying?” Javier asked, seeing his girlfriend’s tears.

Lucia wiped at her tears with the back of her hand. “It’s just...this is what I wanted...for so many years. For Rafi to have siblings, to have someone who loves me helping make the holiday meal...and to have my family in the other room enjoying themselves while we cook.”

Javier opened his mouth to respond when he heard the ding of his cell phone and he saw that Marisol had sent him a picture. Opening it, he smiled and then turned the phone toward Lucia. It was a picture of Rafael and Miranda, the little girl hugging Lovey close as she leaned against her father’s chest, sleeping peacefully.

“I need a copy of that,” Lucia said, wiping away more tears.

“I’ll send it to you,” Javier promised. “You sure you’re okay?”

Lucia nodded. “More than.”

Javier kissed her softly. “Then let’s finish preparing this meal so we can enjoy it with our family.”

* * *

After finishing her sandwich, Olivia leaned her head against Rafael’s shoulder as she watched Noah playing Lego with Jose, Miguel, and Laura. 

“Tired?” Rafael asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“Just relaxed,” Olivia replied. 

“How’s Catie?”

“Sleeping, just like her big sister. They were both up early this morning.”

“You should have woken me.”

Olivia shook her head. “You put in more hours this week than you have in a while, you deserved to sleep in a little. You’re no good to me if you’re exhausted.”

Rafael chuckled and pressed another kiss to the top of her head. “I think Noah just gained three new Lego buddies.”

Olivia smiled. “I guess we know what to have plenty of the next time Miguel comes over for a playdate.”

* * *

About a half an hour later, Rafael felt Miranda begin to stir. She blinked her eyes open and then looked up at him. 

“ _ Hola, mi corazoncito _ ,” he said, pressing a kiss to her head.

“Daddy,” she said with a smile. 

“Did you sleep well, sweet girl?” Olivia asked.

Miranda nodded. “Daddy’s comfy.”

“I definitely agree with you there.”

Rafael rolled his eyes as Miranda giggled and Olivia leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. 

“Come on,  _ mija _ , time to get washed up for dinner,” Rafael said as he stood with Miranda in his arms. 

“Mommy watch Lovey?” Miranda asked.

“Of course,” Olivia replied, reaching for the stuffed bear and the blanket that Miranda had been wrapped in. “Should we let her sleep a little longer?”

Miranda nodded. “She’s still tired.”

Rafael chuckled, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before taking her to wash her hands.

* * *

As he walked Miranda over to the kids’ table, Rafael noticed the plates each had a name on them. Noah’s was written in blue while Miranda’s was written in purple. On the other side of Miranda’s was Julia’s, whose name was written in pink. 

“I think this is your spot,  _ mija _ ,” he said. “You’re sitting between Noah and Julia.”

“My name!” she exclaimed, seeing the plate in front of her. 

Rafael ran a hand over her hair. “And it’s in purple.”

“What’s in purple?’ Noah asked as he and Olivia approached.

“My name!” Miranda repeated, pointing to her plate.

“Mine’s in blue,” Noah said with a smile, holding up the plate to show his mother.

“Do you know who made these?” Olivia asked her husband.

Rafael shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“The daughter of one of my co-workers is very artistically-inclined. Cia and I found the plates a few weeks ago and thought it would be fun for the kids to have their names written on them in their favorite colors,” Javier answered as he and Marisa arrived at the table.

“I’d say they’re a hit,” Olivia said with a smile.

* * *

After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room once more. Rafael and Juan joined Noah, Miguel, Jose, and Laura in their Lego-building while Marisa worked on a holiday word find, Elena and Julia worked on puzzles, and Miranda played with the shape-sorter. The rest of the family lounged in various spots around the room and talked amongst themselves while A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving played on the TV. 

* * *

“This was the best Thanksgiving I can remember,” Olivia commented as she and Rafael lay in bed later that night. 

The kids had both gone to bed without much fuss. One short story and they were both fast asleep. After settling Miranda in her bed, they had retreated to their own room.

“Agreed,” Rafael replied.

“So, what do you think of your new family members?”

Rafael shrugged. “As cheesy as it sounds, it feels like we’ve always been family.”

Olivia smiled as she leaned over to kiss him, “I agree.”

“...and I guess we need to add five more kids to Miranda’s birthday party guest list.”

“Has she said anything to you about what she wants to do?”

Rafael shook his head. “No, but I was thinking maybe something Disney-themed?”

“Both kids would enjoy that, I think. I mean, I know it’s Miranda’s party, but Noah will be there, too.”

“I agree-I think they’d  _ both _ enjoy it. Do you want to have it here?”

“Her birthday is so close to my due date that I think that’s probably the safest option.”

“There better be plenty of purple, too.”

Olivia laughed. “Of course. That part was never in doubt.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this was difficult for me to write and I purposely didn't go into a lot of detail or spend a lot of time on the event that happens because, even nearly 3 years later, it still hurts to think about my own experience with having a baby. Mine was not as happy as the one in this story. I didn't get to bring my daughter home. 
> 
> Anyway, I appreciate all of you who continue to read and leave comments. This story is precious to me, so I love hearing that other people are enjoying it as well.
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

The night before his  _ abuelita’s _ birthday, Rafael had just finished clearing the dishes from dinner when he saw his son appear in the kitchen looking concerned.

“Noah,  _ mijo _ , what’s wrong?” he asked, bending to the little boy’s level.

“Mommy’s crying,” Noah answered, his own voice shaking as he tried to remain calm.

Rafael stood and reached for his son’s hand. “Show me.”

Noah nodded, leading his father to the living room. 

* * *

When he entered the living room, Rafael saw Olivia holding a hand to her stomach as she tried to hold back her tears while Miranda was on the floor looking like she was about to cry as well. Rushing to his wife’s side, he wrapped his arms around her while Noah tried to distract his sister. 

“Livia, what’s wrong,  _ mi vida _ ?” he asked, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

“Catie,” she gasped out.

“You aren’t due for another two weeks.”

“Tell that...to your...daughter.”

Rafael glanced at the time and tried to think of who could get here the soonest. His mother and Javier were having dinner with his aunt and her husband as well as his uncle and his wife. He wasn’t sure his mother had her cell phone turned on. Of his new siblings, Jose lived the closest. Taking out his phone, he called the younger man.

“ _ Hola,  _ Raf,” Jose greeted.

“ _ Hola _ . I’m sorry for calling so late, but I need to take Liv in…”

“Is she okay?”

“It’s Catie…”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Thank you.”

“We’re family now, Raf. It’s what we do.”

* * *

“The kids,” Olivia gasped when Rafael hung up with Jose.

Rafael pressed a kiss to her temple before moving to kneel on the floor beside their children.

“ _ Mijos _ ,” he said, gaining their attention. “ _ Tío  _ Jose is coming to stay with you for a little while.”

“What about  _ abuelita _ ?” Noah asked.

“I’m going to call her, too, but she’s with  _ Tía  _ Maria and  _ Tío _ Enrique right now, so I’m not sure if she’ll hear her phone.”

“Are Mommy and Catie going to be okay?”

Rafael ran a hand over his son’s hair, leaning over to press a kiss to his forehead. “I’m going to take Mommy to the hospital so the doctor can check on her and Catie.”

“Like  _ Tía  _ Sol?” 

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

“Daddy,  _ abrazo _ ?” Miranda asked tearfully.

Rafael nodded and reached over to pull the little girl into his arms and hug her tightly. 

* * *

As he opened the door to his brother, Rafael let out a sigh of relief when he saw Jose had brought his wife, Isabella, and their children, Julia and Miguel.

“How’s Liv?” Isabella asked. 

“In pain. I need to get her to the hospital, but I haven’t called Mami yet…”

“We called her on the way here. She didn’t answer, so we called Papi,” Jose said. “They’re on their way. Do you need us to call anyone else?”

“Fin, Amanda or Sonny, and Lucy…Liv has all of their numbers on the fridge.”

“Done. Take Liv, let us worry about the rest.”

Rafael nodded, thanking them again as he walked back to the living room to get Olivia. 

* * *

“Rafa,” Olivia said tearfully, grabbing his hand as another contraction hit.

“I’m right here,  _ mi vida _ ,” Rafael assured her. “We’re at the hospital now and the doctor will be here soon.”

“Is Catie okay?”

“The nurse went to get the ultrasound machine so she can check.”

Olivia nodded, gripping Rafael’s hand tightly as she waited for what felt like an eternity.

* * *

“Hey, what did you say your new brother’s last name was?”

Marisol looked up from the patient chart she’d been reading over to see one of the nurses leaning over the counter of the nurses’ station. “Barba. Why?”

“I was returning a wheelchair to the ER entrance and I overheard someone say his last name was Barba and his wife was having what she thought were contractions.”

Marisol quickly shut the file as she stood and immediately started walking towards the elevator that would take her to the maternity floor. 

* * *

Approaching Olivia’s hospital room, Marisol knocked on the door, walking in when she heard a “come in” from Olivia’s doctor. She had worked with the woman quite a few times over the years and knew she was one of the best in the city. 

“Sol,” Rafael said upon seeing his sister’s familiar face. 

Marisol approached Olivia’s other side. “How are you doing, Liv?” 

“Worried,” Olivia managed between breaths. 

“Catie is fine, Livia,” Rafael reminded her. 

“You can see her heartbeat on this machine here,” Marisol added, laying her hand on top of a nearby monitor. “Strong heartbeat. She’s definitely your and Rafael’s daughter.”

“Stay?” 

“Of course.”

“Who’s on with you tonight?” a nurse asked Marisol.

“Leah. Could you have her call Dr. Carlson as well? I don’t want to leave my floor short-staffed.”

“Sure.”

* * *

“Don’t you want to play Lego with Miguel?” Jose asked Noah, seeing the way the little boy was still just sitting on the couch holding his trusted stuffed elephant.

“I’m worried about Mommy,” Noah replied. 

Jose pulled the little boy into his arms, hugging him tightly. “She’s with your dad. I’m sure  _ Tía  _ Sol is there with her by now, too.  _ Abuelita _ and  _ Abuelito _ will be here soon.”

“I didn’t get my reading done.”

“What do you need to do?”

“Read with an adult for ten minutes.”

“I know I’m not your dad, but I think I could handle that. Is there a specific book you’re reading?”

Noah shook his head. “We just finished the book last night.”

“Should we pick out a new one together? Maybe a short one so your dad doesn’t miss anything?”

“Papi, what about the mouse book?” Miguel asked, having crawled up onto the couch to sit on Jose’s other side.

“Mouse book?” Noah repeated.

“ _ If You Give a Mouse a Cookie _ ,” Jose replied. “It’s one of Miguel’s favorites.”

“Miranda likes that one, too.”

“You could read it to all of us,” Miguel suggested.

“Did you bring the book?” Jose asked his son.

Miguel’s face fell. “No.”

“I have it,” Noah said. “Dad bought us that one and  _ If You Give a Moose a Muffin _ .”

“Go get it,  _ chico _ . Then I can read it to all four of you.”

Noah nodded, quickly going to retrieve the two books. 

* * *

When she walked into her son’s home, Lucia smiled when she heard laughter floating down the hall. She recognized Jose’s voice, followed by Miranda’s excited shout of “cookie!”.

“I think we’re missing the  _ real _ fun,” Javier commented as he and Lucia walked down the hall.

“ _ ¡Abuelita! _ ” Miranda shouted when she noticed her grandmother. 

Bending, Lucia scooped Miranda up into her arms and hugged the little girl tightly. 

“ _ Hola, nieta _ . How are you doing?”

“Better now,” Miranda replied, laying her head on Lucia’s shoulder. “ _ Tío  _ Jose reading.”

“The mouse book?” 

“Yes!”

“I think  _ Abuelito _ and I need to hear this one again,” Lucia said, taking a seat in a nearby chair and settling Miranda on her lap.

* * *

“Mommy okay?” Miranda asked as Lucia tucked her into bed. 

“Your daddy and the doctors are taking good care of her,” Lucia assured the little girl. 

“You stay?”

Lucia smiled and nodded, leaning down to press a kiss to the little girl’s forehead. “Yes,  _ abuelito _ and I will stay.”

“Miss Mommy and Daddy.”

Lucia ran a hand over Miranda’s head. “I know,  _ nieta _ . I’m sure you’ll get to see them soon.”

“Want Mommy and Daddy,” Miranda cried. 

Lucia laid down next to her granddaughter and wrapped her arms around her, stroking her hair. “I know,  _ querida _ , I know. As soon as you can see them, I’ll take you to them, okay? But you need to sleep. Mommy and Daddy love you very much and they would want you to get your rest.”

Miranda sniffled, hugging Lovey and Lumpy close as she tried to do what her grandmother asked. 

* * *

Watching her sergeant uncharacteristically keep checking his phone, Erin sighed and closed the file she’d been reading. Standing, she pulled on her jacket and turned to Fin. “Let’s go.”

Fin looked up in surprise. “Go where?”

“The hospital,” Erin replied. “I know you’re worried about Liv.”

“Sonny and I can hold down the fort,” Amanda assured him. “We’ll call if we need anything. Nick is already there, you might as well join the worrywart. I talked to Mike, too, and he said he’d be available to help if we need it. Jesse is with Sonny’s mom tonight so we were going to try and get some paperwork done, make sure everything is in order for ADA Andersen.”

“Does he know Barba is out now?” Fin asked as he buttoned his coat.

“I left him a message,” Sonny answered. “Called McCoy, too.”

“Mike said he’d let his dad know,” Amanda added.

Fin nodded, letting Erin lead the way out of the precinct. 

* * *

Standing over his newborn daughter’s crib, Rafael reached out and rubbed his finger over her cheek as she slept. She had brown hair and what he was sure were going to be green eyes. He also thought she already resembled her mother as well. Olivia said it was too early to tell either of those things, but he was sure he was going to be proven correct. 

“Rafael, if you don’t leave her alone, she won’t sleep,” Olivia quietly scolded, not even bothering to open her eyes. 

Rafael chuckled, leaving their daughter’s side to return to her. “She’s beautiful, Livia.”

Olivia smiled. “She is.”

“Get some sleep,  _ mi vida _ ,” he told her. “I’m going to go update the squad and check in with my parents.”

Olivia nodded. “‘Kay. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Rafael replied, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead before quietly leaving the room.

* * *

“How is she doin’?” Fin asked when he saw Rafael.

“Mom and baby are both sleeping.”

“Healthy?” Erin asked.

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Both perfectly healthy.”

“So, what did you two finally decide on for a name?” Nick asked.

“Catalina Benson Barba. Otherwise known as Catie. Not only her great-grandmother’s namesake but born on her birthday, too.”

“Has a mind of her own. Definitely a Barba.”

Rafael rolled his eyes at his friend, though he had to agree. Olivia had said the same thing. 

“Do you want me to go get Lucy and the kids?” 

“Not yet. I want Liv to get some sleep, first.”

“You should, too,” Erin insisted. 

“I will,” Rafael promised. “Everything okay at the precinct?”

Fin nodded. “Manda and Carisi stayed last night. I’m about to head in myself.”

“I’ll let you know when she feels up to visitors.”

* * *

Holding her newborn daughter in her arms, Olivia smiled down at her. “Your brother and sister are going to be here soon. They’re excited to meet you.”

Catie blinked up at her. She had just woken from a nap and seemed to be content being held.

“Mommy!”

Olivia looked up to see Miranda and Noah rush into the room ahead of Rafael and Lucia. 

“I sit too?” Miranda asked, looking between her parents.

“You can sit by Mommy if you promise to sit still,” Rafael told her.

“I will.”

Rafael nodded, lifting her onto the bed to sit beside Olivia. After he had made sure she was settled, he turned to his son. “What about you,  _ mijo _ ?”

“Can I?” he asked.

“Of course,” Olivia answered with a smile.

Noah returned her smile as he waited for Rafael to lift him onto the bed. Once he was settled, he peered over at his baby sister. 

“Rafi, get close to them and let me take a picture,” Lucia insisted. 

Olivia wanted to protest, she hadn’t washed her hair in nearly two days, but she knew she would regret not getting a picture like this, so she said nothing and let her mother-in-law snap the picture.

“So, have you decided on a nickname for this little one yet?” Lucia asked her son.

Rafael blinked at her in confusion. “Besides Catie?”

“ _Sí, mijo_. Miranda _es_ _tu corazoncito_ , Noah _es tu tiburoncito_. So what is Catie’s nickname?”

“How about  _ estrellita _ ?” Olivia suggested, looking up at Rafael.

“ _ Perfecto _ ,” he replied, leaning down to brush his lips with hers. 

* * *

“Papi, what are we all doing here exactly?” Marisol asked her father, looking around at the other people in the room-her siblings along with Olivia and Rafael’s squad.

“Liv had a list of things she wanted to get done before bringing Catie home, and since she decided she was ready to be born before her parents had finished the list, I thought we would surprise them by finishing it,” Javier explained. 

“I’m afraid I won’t be much help,” Amanda said with a shrug, placing a hand on her stomach.

Javier shook his head. “You can help me keep everyone in line...and I was hoping you would just double-check to make sure Liv and Rafi have everything they need to connect with their respective offices if they need to. I hear you’re pretty good at that sort of thing.”

Amanda smiled and nodded. “I can do that.”

“Has Liv mentioned to you if Noah is officially moving into the room down here?” Erin asked her.

“My understanding is yes, but we should double-check on that.”

“On it,” Sonny said, taking out his phone to text their friend. 

“Okay, well, while we wait, let’s get started on the rest,” Javier suggested, looking around at everyone.

* * *

After a shower and a nap, Olivia woke to find Rafael sitting on the nearby couch feeding Catie a bottle. Looking up, he smiled at her. “Did she wake you?” he asked.

Olivia shook her head. “No. I didn’t even hear her fuss.”

“I was standing right by her when she started and the nurse had just come in with a bottle, so she calmed down pretty quick.”

“Is your mom bringing the kids back?”

“She was going to try and get them settled at home. They need to go to school tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“I’m sure she would bring them back if you want her to.”

Olivia felt tears prick her eyes. “I miss them.”

“You’ll be home tomorrow. But let me finish feeding  _ nuestro estrellita  _ here and then I’ll call Mami.”

Olivia nodded, frustratingly wiping at the tears that had begun to fall. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize. I miss them, too. Everything okay?”

“We don’t have anything set up at home for her.”

“She didn’t exactly give us much warning,” Rafael reminded her with a soft smile. 

“She already has a mind of her own. Definitely a Barba.”

Rafael chuckled as he adjusted Catie in his arms so he could burp her. “I seem to recall her mother being rather headstrong as well, on a number of occasions.”

Olivia simply smiled and shrugged. “Would you have me any other way?”

“Never.”

“Didn’t think so.”

“I think she’s about ready to go back to sleep, do you want to hold her?”

Olivia nodded, holding out her arms for their baby daughter. After settling Catie in her arms, she tipped her face up for a kiss from Rafael.

“I’m going to go down the hall to call Mami so you can get Catie to sleep,” he told her, brushing their lips together once more before quietly exiting the room. 

Olivia leaned down to press a kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “Your brother and sister are going to come back to see you again. We’ll be home with them starting tomorrow.”

* * *

When she walked into the house the next day, Olivia immediately felt tears prick her eyes again when she noticed that the living room was now clean and a small bassinet had been set up nearby. 

“Livia, are you okay?” Rafael asked. 

Olivia nodded. “A little overwhelmed.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to her temple. “Our family did this. They even got the rest of Noah’s things moved into his new room and the nursery is set up just the way you wanted. There’s a crib in our room and in the nursery.”

“But we only had the one crib and bassinet.”

“Laura leant us the one Elena had just grown out of.”

“What time are the kids going to be home?”

Rafael glanced at his watch. “Not for a few more hours. I can stay with Catie if you want to take a nap.”

“You’re not going to work?” Olivia teased. 

“I told Andersen to call me if he needs to, but between him, Sonny, and McCoy, I think they can handle it.”

“Sonny doesn’t work for the DA’s office.”

“He may have become a shadow for another case.”

Olivia kissed him. “Always thinking ahead.”

Rafael chuckled, stealing another kiss from her. “Andersen is good, but he doesn’t have much experience prosecuting sex crimes, and he and Sonny seemed to get along well, so I figured I’d make sure we were prepared in case Catie decided she wanted to be born early. Which she did.”

“Then I’m going to take a nap before the kids get home. I want to sleep in our bed.”

“Catie and I are going to hang out down here. Maybe we’ll nap together on the couch.”

Olivia laughed, leaning down to kiss Catie’s cheek before handing her over to Rafael. “Have fun with Daddy,” she said before leaving the room and walking upstairs to her and Rafael’s bedroom.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Olivia walked into the living room to find Catie sleeping in her bassinet, Miranda coloring, and Noah putting together a puzzle on the coffee table.

“Where’s Daddy?” she asked her older children, smiling when they rushed over to her and hugged her. 

“He’s in the kitchen,” Noah supplied. “Uncle Sonny and  _ Abuelita _ made a bunch of food.”

“Have to be quiet. Catie sleeping,” Miranda added.

Olivia bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “That’s right, sweet girl.”

“Do you want to see my puzzle so far?” Noah asked.

“Of course.”

Noah smiled as he led his mother over to the coffee table. “It’s not done yet…”

“It looks great so far, sweet boy,” Olivia said, running a hand over her son’s hair. “I don’t think I’ve seen this one before, though.”

“ _ Abuelito _ let me pick it out. Miguel got one, too.  _ Abuelita _ told him he had to get us something....edu...educated(?)”

“Educational?” Olivia guessed.

“Yeah. That.”

“Sounds like  _ Abuelita _ . You keep working, I’m going to go check on Daddy.”

* * *

“Is that one of the meals your mom made?” 

Rafael turned around at the sound of his wife’s voice, smiling as he walked over to pull her into his arms. “Yes. It should be done shortly. How was your nap?”

“Good. How long has Catie been asleep?”

Rafael glanced at the clock. “About twenty minutes.”

“Look at you, taking care of all three kids. And you were worried about not being a good dad.”

Rafael chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her softly. “Well, it helps to have a good partner. And I have the best.”

“Flaterer,” Olivia teased, kissing him again. 

“It’s true.”

“I heard your mom told Javi that he had to buy Noah and Miguel something educational.”

“Well, she  _ is _ still a teacher at heart.”

“He chose a Lego people puzzle.”

Rafael smiled. “He technically followed the rules.”

Olivia rolled her eyes as she laughed. “I think I should take back that comment about being a good dad. You’re a bad influence on our son.”

“He also chose a puzzle with more pieces than any of his other ones.”

“Did you help him at all?”

Rafael shrugged. “Not really. I suggested he start with the edge pieces, but that’s it. He insisted he wanted to do it himself. He helped me talk Miranda out of playing with the shape sorter, too.”

“She loves that thing.”

“She does, and normally it’s not a problem, but I didn’t want to risk waking Catie. Noah reminded her that she had gotten new crayons and a coloring book. She’s coloring a picture for the office.”

“Are your aunt and uncle still in town?”

Rafael nodded. “Till tomorrow. Why?”

“I thought they might like to see the kids before they leave.”

“Are you feeling up to visitors?”

“I’ll be fine once I shower and eat. Go ahead and invite them over. Catie will probably be awake demanding attention by the time they get here.”

Rafael laughed, leaning forward to kiss her again. “I’ll call them.”

* * *

A couple of hours later, as she was finishing feeding Catie, Olivia heard the doorbell ring. When Noah and Miranda looked up at her and Rafael with confusion written on their faces, she smiled at them. “I think we might have some visitors.”

“Who?” Miranda asked.

“Let’s go find out,” Rafael suggested, holding out his hands for her and Noah. 

“Are they here to see Catie?” Noah asked as they walked down the hall.

“I’m not sure.”

Noah frowned as he let go of his father’s hand and watched as he opened the door. When he saw who was on the other side, his frown turned into a grin. “¡ _ Tía _ Maria! ¡ _ Tío  _ Enrique!”

Maria immediately pulled her great-nephew into a tight hug. “Noah,  _ tiburoncito _ , I’ve missed you!”

“How 's  _ nuestro corazoncito _ ?” Enrique asked as he picked Miranda up to hug her. 

“I got new colors!” Miranda told him excitedly. 

“You did?! I think I need to see them.”

Miranda giggled as Enrique set her down and let her lead him into the living room, with Noah, Maria, and Rafael following close behind. 

* * *

“Mommy, look who’s here,” Noah announced as the group entered the living room.

“ _ Hola, Tía _ Maria,  _ Tío  _ Enrique,” Olivia greeted with a smile. “Would you like to meet your newest great-niece?”

“In a minute,  _ sobrina _ ,” Maria replied. “ _ Tu tiburoncito _ promised to show me his puzzle first, and  _ tu corazoncito _ has new colors to show Enrique.”

Olivia nodded, leaning her head against Rafael’s shoulder when he joined her on the couch. Turning his head, he pressed a kiss into her hair. When Catie began to squirm and reach toward him, Olivia sat back up so she could hand their daughter to him. “I think she wants you.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to his baby daughter’s forehead. “ _ Te amo, mi estrellita _ .”

Maria turned to look at her nephew. “She has a nickname already?”

Olivia laughed. “It seemed fitting, since her brother and sister have them, too.”

“Luci mentioned you changed her name?” Enrique asked.

“I think we need to send out an announcement,  _ mi vida _ ,” Rafael said to Olivia with a laugh.

“Might not be a bad idea,” Olivia agreed with a smile, reaching over to run a finger over Catie’s cheek. “Her name is Catalina Benson Barba. Born at just after four a.m. on her namesake’s birthday.”

“ _ Ella es tan preciosa _ ,” Maria commented. 

“ _ Y muy hermosa _ ,” Enrique added. 

“ _ ¿Yo también? _ ” Miranda asked, eliciting laughter from the adults.

“ _ Sí, chiquita, tú también _ .” 

“ _ Y este es muy guapo, como su padre _ ,” Maria said, hugging Noah tightly as she spoke. 

“I’m...like my dad?” Noah attempted to translate.

“Close,  _ chico _ . I said you’re very handsome, just like your dad.”

Noah beamed at her and then looked back at his mother for confirmation. 

“ _ Tía  _ Maria is right, sweet boy,” she said, running a hand over his hair as Rafael winked at him and made him laugh. 

“I got a new room,” Noah announced as he turned back to his great-aunt and uncle. “Uncle Sonny and Aunt Erin decorated it. Aunt Amanda said she supervised.”

“I think we need to see this,” Maria told him. 

Noah nodded excitedly, grabbing a hand of each Maria and Enrique to lead them down the hall. Miranda climbed up onto Olivia’s lap and peered over at her sister, who was now dozing in Rafael’s arms. “She sleeps a lot.”

Olivia chuckled lightly, pressing a kiss to her older daughter’s head. “She has a lot of growing to do, so she needs to rest a lot.”

Miranda looked skeptical, but shrugged and leaned into her mother. “I still stay?” she asked quietly.

Olivia exchanged a concerned look with Rafael before turning back to Miranda. “Of course, sweet girl. You’re a Barba now and Catie needs her big sister. When she gets older, you can show her how to use the shape sorter. You’re the expert, after all.”

Miranda smiled and nodded, then voiced her next concern. “I still get my party?”

“Of course,  _ mija _ ,” Rafael answered. “You need to decide on a design for your cake, though.”

“ _ Morado _ ,” Miranda replied, as if that should be obvious. 

Rafael chuckled. “Yes, I know. But do you want a character on it? Like Lumpy?”

Miranda’s eyes widened. “Lumpy?” she repeated. 

“Yes. How about Lumpy, Pooh Bear, and their friends?” 

Miranda nodded excitedly. “Yes, please, Daddy.”

“I’ll call the bakery tomorrow.”

“Are you sure they can do that?” Olivia asked.

“If not, I’ll find one that will. If Miranda wants Lumpy on her cake, that’s what she’ll get,” Rafael replied. 

Olivia rolled her eyes at him, but smiled. The way Rafael was determined to make their kids’ wishes come true was endearing. 

* * *

The day of Miranda’s birthday party, Lucy, Javier, and Lucia arrived early to help with decorations. Catie was in her bassinet in the living room and Noah was excitedly bouncing between helping all of the adults. Olivia and Rafael were with Miranda in her room, trying to get her to decide on an outfit. She had worn her favorite purple shirt yesterday and Olivia hadn’t had time to wash it, so she was slightly upset. Exchanging a look with Rafael, she went to their bedroom and brought back one of Miranda’s presents. 

“ _ ¿Regalo? _ ” the little girl asked.

“Only this one for right now,” Olivia answered, sitting down on the bed beside her. “The rest will have to wait until your party.”

Miranda nodded, waiting until Rafael sat down on her other side before quickly tearing open the paper and lifting the lid on the box. 

“Lumpy!!!” She exclaimed, holding up the shirt before hugging it to her chest.

Rafael laughed. “I think it’s a hit,” he said to his wife.

“I think so, too,” Olivia replied before turning to their daughter. “Should we try it on?”

Miranda nodded, practically bouncing with excitement as she stood and waited for Olivia to help her out of her pajama shirt and into the new one. 

“What do you think,  _ mija _ ?” Rafael asked. 

“I wear this today?” she asked in reply.

“Is it comfortable?”

“Yes!”

“Let me get a scissors so we can cut the tag off. Mommy will help you finish getting ready.”

* * *

“ _ ¡Abuelita, Abuelito, mira! _ ” Miranda shouted as she ran into the living room. 

Javier scooped the excited little girl up into his arms. “Did Mommy and Daddy let you open a present early?” he asked. 

Miranda grinned and nodded. “Lumpy!”

Lucia laughed as she pressed a kiss to her granddaughter’s head. She opened her mouth to say something when Catie began to cry. 

“Shh,  _ estrellita _ ,” Lucia cooed as she picked the little girl up and rocked her. 

Miranda laid her head on Javier’s shoulder as she watched her grandmother. “I woke her up,” she said sadly.

Javier pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It’s okay,  _ corazoncito _ . She was awake before you came into the room. I think she’s probably hungry.”

Lucia nodded, looking over at Miranda with a smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong,  _ nieta _ . I’m going to make her a bottle, though. I think  _ Abuelito  _ is right about her being hungry.”

“She eats a lot, too.”

Javier and Lucia both laughed. 

“She does,” Lucia confirmed. “Babies eat and sleep a lot because they have a lot of growing to do.”

“That’s what Mommy says.”

“She’s right. Why don’t you show  _ Abuelito _ the picture you colored for his office?”

Miranda grinned, lifting her head and wiggling to get down so she could do as her grandmother suggested.

* * *

“I’m worried about Miranda,” Olivia said once the little girl had rushed out of the room to show off her new shirt.

Rafael wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. “Why?”

“Asking if she still gets to stay…”

“We both know she didn’t have the best first couple years of life. It’s natural for her to be insecure. A new baby is a big adjustment for both kids. She seems fine today, excited for her party.”

“I’m surprised she slept last night.”

“I think she tired herself out at the park with Isabella and Julia.”

“I was thinking maybe she needs more of an outlet for all of her energy.”

“Did you have something in mind?”

“Lucy said a friend of hers is a nanny for a little girl who just started a toddler’s gymnastics class and thought it might be a good fit for Miranda, too. Noah and I were walking home from school the other day and we passed a dance class, and he was completely entranced. I thought we could look into that for him.”

“Not that I don’t want to give our kids opportunities for things that interest them, but is that going to be possible when we both go back to work?”

Olivia shrugged. “I thought we could look into it without them, see how often they would meet and at what times, etc. Maybe we could work something out with our village to make it possible?”

“Our village?” Rafael repeated with a laugh.

Olivia smiled. “Yes. Our village. Our friends and family. We’re both in positions where we can delegate a little more, so I think we could make it work. I don’t want them to miss out on anything just because our work schedules can be a little crazy.”

Rafael leaned over to kiss her. “Okay. We’ll look into it and go from there. For now, we have Miranda’s party and then tomorrow we need to finish Christmas shopping.”

“Who’s going to watch the kids?”

“My parents.”

“So you consider Javier your dad now?”

Rafael shrugged. “He’s been a better father to me in the past few months than my biological one was to me for years. I just haven’t had a chance to….talk to him about it, I guess.”

Olivia leaned over for another kiss. “I think it’s sweet.”

“Yes, well, don’t let that get around the DA’s office.”

Olivia laughed, stealing another kiss before standing and holding out her hand for him. “I promise your secret is safe with me.”

* * *

“Remind me why I thought having a bunch of three-year-olds running around hyped up on sugar was a good idea?” Rafael asked as he and Olivia climbed into bed later that night.

Olivia laughed, curling into his side and laying her head on his shoulder. “Because you can’t deny that little girl anything.”

“Oh, right. That. I think I need to work on that.”

Olivia poked his side, making him flinch. “Liar,” she teased.

Rafael chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m glad you found Noah, that Miranda found you, and that you gave me Catie.”

Olivia lifted her head to kiss him. “They were all meant to be ours. I truly believe that.”

Rafael nodded in agreement. “Me, too. I can’t imagine not having any of them. I know we’ll have to work things out with our schedules...but…”

“....but it feels  _ right _ ?” 

Rafael nodded, pulling her close for another kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Olivia replied, kissing him again before laying her head back down on his shoulder. “Now hold me so we can get some sleep before one of the kids wakes up and needs us.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Barson family chapter. Squad will be back next chapter. Special thanks to Hasbleidy for giving me the Spanish phrase that Javier says about Rafael and Olivia. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

“Dad?”

Looking away from Catie, Rafael saw his son standing at the side of the couch. The little boy was clutching Eddie tightly and looked like he was about to cry. “ _ Mijo _ , what’s wrong?”

“I had a bad dream.”

Rafael nodded his head toward the other side of the couch. “Why don’t you come sit by Catie and me.”

Noah nodded, climbing onto the couch next to his father and baby sister. “Is she hungry again?”

“No, she just needed a diaper change. She doesn’t seem to want to go back to sleep yet, though, and I didn’t want to disturb your mom or Miranda.”

Noah reached toward Catie and smiled when she wrapped her hand around his finger. 

“I think she likes you,” Rafael commented. 

“Does she get Christmas presents?”

Rafael chuckled. “Yes, but probably mostly clothes. Why? Did you want to get her something?”

“Her door doesn’t have a sign with her name.”

“You don’t have to wait for Christmas to make her one.”

Noah tilted his head. “I don’t know what else to get her.”

“We’ll look online later and if you see something you think she’ll like, I’ll help you get it for her.”

“Okay,” Noah agreed. When he tried to pull his hand back, Catie wouldn’t let him. 

“ _ Mijita _ , your brother needs his hand back,” Rafael said to his daughter with a laugh. 

Noah giggled as he pulled his hand free and then sat back down beside his father. “Will you tell us a story?”

“A story about what?”

“Catie is named after _your_ _Abuelita_ , right?” At Rafael’s nod, Noah continued. “Maybe a story about her?”

Rafael thought for a moment before he spoke. “She and my  _ abuelito _ used to wait for your  _ abuelita _ and me to decorate their tree. My  _ abuelito _ would lift me up so I could put the angel at the top of the tree.”

“Angel?” Noah repeated.

“Yes. They had an angel at the top of their tree instead of a star. It was one of the few things they brought with them from Cuba.”

“What happened to the angel?”

“Your  _ abuelita _ has it now.”

“When are we going to decorate  _ our _ tree?” Noah asked, looking at the spot they’d cleared for their Christmas tree.

“Tomorrow” Rafael answered. “ _ Abuelita _ is going to watch Catie while Mom and I take you and Miranda to pick out a tree.”

“Catie is too little to go?”

“She could for a little while, but it’s not good for her to be outside in the cold for very long.”

“Oh.”

“But she’ll sit in her little swing and be with us while we decorate.”

“She’ll probably like the lights.”

“I think so, too.”

Noah yawned and then leaned against his father’s side as he closed his eyes. 

“Do you want me to tuck you back in?” Rafael asked him.

“Will you walk me back to my room?”

“Of course. Come on,  _ mijo _ , time to go back to bed.”

“Okay,” Noah agreed, opening his eyes and following his father down the hall to his room. 

Once Noah had gotten comfortable, Rafael carefully bent to press a kiss to his head. “ _ Dulces sueňos, mijo. Te amo _ .” Turning his attention back to his younger daughter, he saw that she, too, was now asleep. Chuckling to himself, he pressed a kiss to her head as well before walking back upstairs and placing her in her crib. 

* * *

“Rafa?”

Rafael turned at the sound of his wife’s voice. He smiled as he walked over to pull her into his arms. “Catie was insistent on staying awake after I changed her diaper, so I took her downstairs for a little while. Then Noah woke up.”

“Is he okay?”

“He is now. He had a bad dream. I told him and Catie a Christmas story about my  _ abuelita _ and they both fell back asleep.”

Olivia smiled as she laid her head on his shoulder. “You’re a good dad, Rafa.”

“I try.”

“The kids know you love them and you’ll take care of them. That’s what matters the most,” Olivia insisted as she lifted her head and kissed him. 

Rafael kissed her again before leading her back down the hall to their room. “I was always slightly afraid I’d end up like my own father. But you know that.”

“You could never be like him,” Olivia insisted as she framed his face with her hands. “You’re the best man I know and I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

After kissing him again, Olivia reached for his hand and led him over to their bed. “We probably only have a few hours before one of the kids wakes up again, but in the meantime, I want you to hold me.”

Rafael smiled and nodded, climbing into bed and pulling Olivia into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest, over his heart. “ _ Buenas noches, mi amor _ ,” she said softly.

“ _ Buenas noches, mi vida _ ,” Rafael replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before closing his eyes.

* * *

“Did you buy the store?” Lucia teased as she saw all of the bags her son and daughter-in-law were carrying.

Rafael raised an eyebrow at his mother. “I seem to recall a larger number of bags at your house.”

Lucia waved off his comment. “I have more people to buy for this year.”

“Whatever you say, Mami.”

Olivia shared an amused look with Javier as she walked over to take Catie from him. “How was she?”

“Good. She’s been fed, burped, and changed all within the last hour. She’s been fighting to keep her eyes open. I think she was waiting for you and Rafi to get home.”

Olivia pressed a kiss to her younger daughter’s head as she held her close. “Mommy and Daddy are home now, sweetheart. You can go to sleep.”

Seeming to recognize her mother’s words, Catie yawned and promptly closed her eyes.

Rafael opened his mouth to ask where the other two kids were, but then he felt a small body collide with his legs. Looking down, he saw Miranda grinning up at him. Chuckling, he lifted her into his arms and hugged her close before doing the same to Noah. 

“Come see the brick tower, Daddy,” Miranda said, reaching for his hand and then Noah’s before tugging them both down the hall to the boy’s room.

Watching them, Lucia turned her face into Javier’s shoulder as she tried to contain her laughter. “I think you’re going to have your hands full with that one,  _ mija _ ,” she said

Olivia smiled and nodded. “She’s definitely Rafa’s daughter. I don’t want to discourage her growing confidence, though. She was so insecure when we first brought her home.”

“You’d never know it now,” Javier commented.

* * *

Later that night, while Olivia, Lucia, and the kids played in the living room, Rafael and Javier chatted together in the kitchen. 

“Rafi, is everything okay?’ Javier asked, studying the younger man closely. “You’ve seemed worried about something all day.”

Rafael took a drink of his coffee and then turned his attention to the older man. “You’ve been more of a father to me over the last few months than my biological one was to me for most of the time he lived with us. But you already know that.”

Javier nodded, waiting for Rafael to continue.

“My kids call you  _ abuelito _ and I already consider your kids my siblings.”

“We’re family, Rafi. You know that.”

“I do. I know you love my mom and my family like we’ve always been a part of your life.”

“ _ Tu Mami es el amor de mi vida _ ,” Javier said firmly.

“I know.”

“Talk to me, Rafi. What’s going on?”

Rafael let out a breath. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. Liv says I think too much.”

“She’s not wrong.”

“She’s not,” Rafael agreed with a laugh. “You know she adopted Noah before she and I got together.”

“Yes.”

“He’s my son and I’m his father, and Liv and I both believe that was meant to be. She was meant to find him, Miranda was meant to find her, and we were meant to have Catie.”

“You were all meant to be a family,” Javier agreed “Anyone with eyes can see that.”

Rafael smiled at him before he continued. “I think you and Mami were meant to be as well. That you and your kids were meant to be our family. When I stopped by your office the other day, you introduced me as your son.”

“If you’d rather I didn’t do that…”

“No, no. It just kind of caught me off guard. You know my father didn’t treat Mami and me very well. It was difficult for Mami to leave him, but my  _ abuelitos _ made it happen. Even as a kid, I knew we were better off without him. It was tough at first, but we made it through together, along with my  _ abuelitos _ .”

“Your mami takes after your  _ abuelita _ . Both strong women.”

Rafael nodded in agreement. “I wish  _ Abuelita _ could have met Liv.”

“I’m sure there would be a lot of mutual appreciation going on. Your Liv is a tough cookie, too.”

“She is. Anyway, like I was saying, I’ve been thinking about how I became Noah’s father. How your kids became my siblings…and how  _ you _ have become a father to  _ me _ . When you introduced me as your son-not your partner’s son or your step-son, but your  _ son _ , period, I got the same feeling that I did when Noah called me ‘dad’ for the first time, when Liv referred to me as Noah’s father for the first time. I guess this is my long-winded way of asking if you would be okay with me calling you Papi, like Sol and the others do…”

Javier set his coffee down on the counter and pulled Rafael into a tight hug. “I would love that,” he said with a smile as he pulled back. “You know your mami is going to cry when she hears it, right?”

Rafael chuckled. “Oh, I know. But they’ll be happy tears.”

“Speaking of your biological father...I found his parents. They’re actually alive and they live upstate with your father’s older sister.”

“I get the feeling there’s more.”

“That’s because there is,” Javier said. Taking a deep breath, he revealed what else he had found. “After your mom left your father, he moved to California and remarried. They had a son together. You have a half-brother.”

“I’m sorry,  _ what _ ?”

“You have a half-brother. He’s about five years younger than you…”

Rafael frowned. His mother hadn’t left his father until he was almost ten...but his father’s abuse had started when he was about four. “Mami said my father told her that his parents were dead.”

“I guess in his mind they were. He cut them off.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“I spoke to your aunt.”

“Oh.”

“If you want me to stop looking into your father’s family, I will…”

Rafael shook his head. “I’m not mad. I’m...hurt...I guess. Not only did he abuse Mami and me, but he cheated on her as well?”

Javier sighed. “That’s what it sounds like. When your mom finally left him, he and the other woman moved to California and got married. They moved back here when their son decided that’s where he wanted to go to college. Your grandmother got sick around that same time and he decided to get back into contact with his family.”

Rafael took a deep breath. “What do they think happened to Mami and me?”

“Your  _ abuelitos _ made a lot of effort to ensure that your father couldn’t get to you or your mami anymore, so he literally didn’t know.”

“He didn’t care once he met this other woman.”

Javier reached over and clasped Rafael on the shoulder. “I’m so sorry,  _ mijo _ . I know it’s a lot to take in, but your mami and I thought you deserved to know the truth.”

“We were...and  _ are _ better off without him. I never doubted that Mami and my  _ abuelitos _ loved me. Maybe in another universe, you and Mami reconnected sooner and my childhood would have been much different.”

“In another universe?” Javier repeated.

Rafael chuckled. “Sorry. Liv and I were talking about it the other night. I don’t even remember how it came up.”

“Well, I’m sure you two end up together in every universe. No matter when or where you meet.”

“ _ Ella es mi alma gemela _ .”

Javier smiled and nodded. “ _ Eso está en las cartas _ ”

“What was written in the cards?” Olivia asked as she walked into the room.

“We were,  _ mi vida _ ,” Rafael answered, wrapping an arm around her as she wrapped hers around his waist and leaned into his side. 

“I’m not going to argue with that.”

“I should hope not.”

Olivia laughed, pressing a kiss to Rafael’s cheek. “I think I’ll keep you.”

Rafael rolled his eyes, eliciting laughter from Javier and Olivia. 

“Did you get all your shopping done?” Javier asked. 

Olivia nodded. “We did. Thank you for watching the kids again.”

“ _ Mija _ , it’s no problem. Cia and I love spending time with our grandkids. We can spoil them a lot more when you’re not around, you know.”

“As if us being around stops either one of you from doing that.”

Javier chuckled and shrugged. “I’m pretty sure it’s my right as their  _ abuelito _ . Cia and I will keep the kids entertained a bit longer, you two take a minute to yourselves.”

* * *

“Is everything okay?” Olivia asked her husband once Javier had left the room.

Rafael sighed. “Yes and no,” he replied before explaining the conversation he and Javier had just had.

“How do you feel about all of that?”

“I’m not sure. On the one hand, I have a half-brother out there that I’ve never met, and other family I haven’t seen since I was a small child...but on the other...I have Papi and my other siblings now, and I kind of just want to leave the Barba side in the past.”

“You don’t have to make a decision right this minute...and whatever you decide, I’ll support you.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to her temple. “I know. Thank you.”

Olivia kissed him. “I love you, Rafa. I just want you to be happy.”

“I  _ am _ happy,” he assured her, stealing another kiss. “You’re right-I don’t have to make a decision right away, so I thought we could spend some time with our kids, maybe put a movie on in the background.”

“I’d like that. Your mom mentioned making  _ picadillo _ and you know how much the kids like it. Maybe we could invite your parents to stay for a while longer, too?”

“Deal,” Rafael agreed, kissing her again before leading her back out to the living room.

* * *

Walking into the living room, Rafael and Olivia both smiled when they saw all three kids playing together. Catie was sitting in her swing while Noah and Miranda took turns making the stars on the mobile above her head swing. 

“I expect a copy of that,” Olivia said to her mother-in-law when she caught the older woman snapping a picture.

Lucia laughed. “Of course,  _ mija _ .”

“So, when are you going to decorate your tree?” Javier asked as he shuffled a deck of cards.

“We were supposed to do it yesterday, but Catie was cranky,” Noah replied. 

“We decorate now?” Miranda asked, looking between her parents.

“Maybe later, sweet girl. I need to start dinner,” Olivia answered.

“Javi and I could stay a while longer...and I could make  _ picadillo _ tonight,” Lucia offered. 

“ _ ¡Picadillo _ !” Miranda said excitedly.

“I’m certainly not going to turn down your cooking, Luci,” Olivia said with a laugh. 

“ _ Mijo _ , why don’t you help  _ Abuelito _ and me get the decorations?” Rafael suggested to Noah as Javier stood. The little boy smiled and nodded before following the two older men down the hall. 

* * *

After the lights and tinsel had been put on the tree, Rafael looked around and frowned when he only saw one box of ornaments. Turning to Javier, he asked. “Papi, did you grab the second box of ornaments?”

“ _ Sí, mijo _ . It’s right here,” Javier answered, pushing the box towards his son.

“ _ Gracias _ .” 

“Luci, are you okay?” Olivia asked, noticing the way the other woman was trying to discreetly wipe away tears. 

Lucia sent her daughter-in-law a watery smile. “Just really happy.”

“Help,  _ Abuelita _ ?” Miranda asked, walking over and holding up the ornament she’d picked out the day before.

“Of course _ , nieta _ ,” Lucia replied, lifting the little girl into her arms and walking over to the tree. 

After placing a few more ornaments with the help of both Lucia and Olivia, Miranda reached out towards Rafael. “Want Daddy.”

“What’s wrong,  _ corazoncito _ ?” Rafael asked as he took the little girl into his arms.

Miranda laid her head on his shoulder. “I missed you.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to her forehead as he held her close. “I missed you, too.”

“ _ Tengo hambre _ .”

“I guess I lost track of time,” Lucia said regretfully as she ran a hand over Miranda’s head. “ _ Lo siento, nieta _ .”

“I think there’s still some  _ picadillo _ in the freezer we could warm up,” Olivia told her. 

“I’ll go look.”

“Missed Mommy, too,” Miranda said softly.

Olivia ran a hand over the little girl’s hair. “I missed you, too, sweet girl. Remember it’s our story night, though.”

Miranda smiled and nodded. Before any of them could say anything else, Catie began to cry. 

“Our other daughter is calling,” Olivia said with a laugh as she walked over and picked up their baby. Knowing how much their son liked to help, she turned to him for what she needed. “Noah, sweet boy, could you do me a favor and get Catie’s diaper bag for me?”

Noah smiled and nodded, quickly doing as his mother requested. “Here it is,” he said when he returned.

“Thank you. Do you think you and  _ Abuelito _ could get a bottle ready for her, too? She’s probably going to be hungry soon if she isn’t already.”

“I think we can handle that,” Javier said, holding his hand out for Noah. “Right,  _ nieto _ ?”

“Yeah!”

“When you get back from helping  _ Abuelito _ , it’s time to put the star on the top of the tree,” Rafael reminded his son.

Noah smiled and nodded, following his grandfather into the kitchen and then returning with the bottle they had made for Catie. “Here you go, Mom.”

“Thank you, my sweet boy. I think Dad needs your help now.”

“ _ Mi estrella _ ,” Miranda said, holding the star that was meant to go on the top of the tree.

“Dad said  _ I _ get to put it on the tree,” Noah argued.

Rafael bent down next to both of them. “We talked about this, remember?” he asked, looking between the two siblings. When they both nodded, he continued. “Noah is going to put it on top of the tree, but we need Miranda’s help to make sure it looks right.”

“ _ Mi estrella _ ,” Miranda repeated sadly, but handed the star over to her brother. 

“Miranda, sweet girl, some sit by Mommy,” Olivia said as Rafael lifted Noah onto his shoulders so the little boy could place the star on top of the tree.

“ _ Quiero la estrella _ ,” Miranda said as she climbed up onto the couch and sat next to her mother.

“Why do you want the star so much?”

Miranda looked down at her lap. “First Christmas with a tree.”

“You didn’t have a tree where you were before?”

Miranda shook her head and Olivia wanted to pull the little girl into her arms, but she was currently feeding Catie, so she couldn’t. She heard Javier return from the kitchen and looked over at him. 

“¿ _ Por qué tan triste, corazoncito _ ? He asked, scooping Miranda up into his arms. 

“ _ Quiero la estrella _ ,” she repeated, pointing to the star that now sat atop the Christmas tree.

“The star is for everyone to see,  _ nieta _ .”

Miranda sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. Javier rubbed her back as he looked over at Olivia with a confused expression.

“This is her first Christmas with a tree,” she explained. “We had no idea.”

Javier nodded, pressing a kiss to Miranda’s hair as he continued to rub her back. An idea was formulating in his head but he needed time to make it happen. 

* * *

Early the next morning, after getting up to get a drink of water and check on Noah, Rafael was on his way back to his and Olivia’s room when he heard crying from Miranda’s room. Opening the door, he found her sitting up in bed with both Lumpy and Lovey clutched tightly in her arms.

“What’s wrong,  _ mija _ ?” he asked as he sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms.

“Had to go away again.”

Rafael frowned. Being sent back had been a recurrent nightmare of Miranda’s, but he and Olivia both thought the dream had gone away by now. Clearly it hadn’t. Hugging her tightly, he pressed a kiss to her head. “You’re exactly where you belong,  _ mi corazoncito _ . With me, Mommy, Noah, and Catie. We all love you very much. Catie needs a lot of attention right now, she’s still very little, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want you anymore.”

Miranda sniffled as she nodded. “Forever home?”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“Lovey and Lumpy, too?”

Rafael chuckled and nodded, pressing another kiss to her head. “Yes, for Lovey and Lumpy, too. Did you tell them about the present we got for Mommy?”

Miranda giggled as she nodded. “They won’t tell.”

“They’re very good  _ animales _ . Maybe we can teach them to keep the bad dreams away.”

Miranda studied her stuffed animals and then looked back up at her father. “They can do that?”

“Only if you believe they can.”

“They’re smart.”

“Just like you.”

Miranda beamed at him before snuggling closer and letting her eyes drift shut. “Mommy says so, too.”

“She’s right.”

“That’s the second time in the last twenty-four hours that you’ve said I’ve been right about something.”

Rafael looked up to see Olivia leaning against the doorframe. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said as he smirked at her.

Olivia smiled and shook her head before turning serious. “Is she okay?”

“Just a bad dream. We’re going to teach Lovey and Lumpy how to keep them away.”

“Good idea. Did you check on Noah?”

“Still fast asleep. He’s fine in his new room, Livia. Did Catie wake up?”

Olivia shook her head. “No, she’s still sleeping. I got worried when you didn’t come back to bed.”

“You should go back to bed,  _ mi vida _ . I’ll join you again soon.”

“Okay,” Olivia agreed, walking over to press a kiss to Miranda’s head before doing as Rafael suggested.

A few minutes later, Rafael laid Miranda back down and covered her up. “ _ Dulces sueños, mi corazoncito. Te amo mucho. _ ”

* * *

Later that same morning, Rafael woke to the feeling of a small body sitting on top of him. Opening his eyes, he saw Miranda grinning at him. Clearly she was over what had upset her the previous afternoon and early this morning.

“Daddy! Pancakes?”

“We had pancakes  _ yesterday _ ,  _ mija _ .”

“Again! Mickey pancakes!” Miranda insisted. “¿ _ Por favor _ ?”

“Where are Mommy, Noah and Catie?”

“Downstairs.”

“Does Mommy know you came up here?”

“She told me to find you.”

“Of course she did.”

Miranda tilted her head. “You love me?”

Rafeal sighed, knowing exactly where this conversation was headed. “Yes. Very much.”

“Then you make me Mickey pancakes?”

“I don’t know,” Rafael pretended to contemplate. “I think I need more convincing.”

Miranda giggled as she leaned down to hug him. “¡ _ Abrazo _ !” 

* * *

“Where 's  _ nuestro estrellita _ ?” Rafael asked as he saw Olivia walk into the kitchen without Catie, who she’d been holding most of the morning. 

“Sleeping, finally. Miranda is watching a movie on my iPad and Noah is playing some numbers game on yours.”

“She wanted to try out the new headphones?” 

“Yes. She loves the crown on the top. I don’t remember buying those for her, though.”

“That’s because you didn’t,” Rafael said as he pushed a bowl of fruit towards her. “Papi did.”

“So, how many more times is your mom going to cry when she hears you call Javier your dad?”

Rafael chuckled. “Probably at least a few more.”

Olivia smiled as she continued to eat the fruit. “So, I was thinking, maybe we could have the squad over for a little Christmas get-together? The kids could play and open some presents. I’d like to see everyone before we all get busy with the holidays....”

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to it?”

“I’ll be fine. Especially if we have it here. Maybe your parents could help with the food, though? Or we could have everyone bring something?”

Rafael took out his phone. “I’ll call Mami. She and Papi would love to help, I’m sure.”

* * *

“What’s in the bag?” Rafael asked when he opened the door to admit his parents. When he had called his mother earlier, she’d told him Javier had something for Miranda and had arranged a time for them to come over to give it to her.

“It’s a surprise for  _ nuestro corazoncito _ ,” Javier answered.

“What’d you do, buy her a tree?”

Lucia laughed as she hugged her son. “I managed to talk him out of  _ that  _ idea. Where are  _ mis nietos _ ?”

“Catie just woke up from a nap, Olivia took Miranda to nap with her in our room, and Noah is working on a puzzle.”

“Javi can go set up her surprise, then. I’m going to spend some time with  _ mi nieto _ .”

“You’re not going to help me?” Javier asked.

“Talk to  _ tu hijo _ about it,  _ mi amor _ .”

Both men watched Lucia leave the room before turning back to each other. Rafael raised an eyebrow at Javier. “What did you get her?”

“I made her a tree with a star for the top.”

“Mami just said she talked you  _ out _ of that.”

“My original idea was to get her a small tree for her room, but your mom vetoed that.”

“Liv would have, too.”

“I  _ made _ her a tree,” Javier repeated. “Come with me, I’ll show you.”

Rafael shrugged and followed his father upstairs to Miranda’s room. 

* * *

Rafael eyed the pieces of Christmas tree laid out on the floor of his older daughter’s room and then looked over at his father. “You weren’t kidding when you said you  _ made _ her a tree.”

Javier smiled and shrugged. “I couldn’t stand to see her so sad.”

“She has us all wrapped around her finger.”

“Help me put this up?”

“Might as well, since I’m here,” Rafael agreed, waiting for instructions on what to do next. 

* * *

After her nap, Miranda walked into her room to put Lovey and Lumpy back on her bed. As she turned to leave, she spotted the Christmas tree on her wall, complete with a star on the top that was decorated similar to the one on the real tree downstairs. 

“¡ _ Una estrella _ !” she gasped in excitement. 

“Where do you see a star, sweet girl?” Olivia asked as she entered the room, having heard her daughter’s excited shout.

“¡ _ Una estrella _ !” Miranda repeated, pointing to her wall. 

Seeing the tree on the wall, Olivia smiled. “I think  _ Abuelito _ was here.”

Miranda looked up at her mother. “Still here?” 

“Probably. Should we go find out?” Olivia answered, holding out her hand.

Miranda nodded excitedly as she took her mother’s hand. 

* * *

Entering the living room, Miranda spotted her grandfather and immediately made a beeline for him, quickly clambering up onto his lap and hugging him tightly.

“¡ _ Gracias por mi estrella _ !”

Javier chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her in return. “ _ De nada, corazoncito _ .”

“ _ Abuelito _ got her a star?” Noah asked, looking up at his father.

“He made her a Christmas tree for her room,” Rafael explained. 

“What if I want a tree too?”

“I’m sure  _ Abuelito _ would be more than happy to make one for you, too,” Lucia answered.

“Can we put an angel on top instead of a star?” Noah asked his grandfather.

“Of course,  _ tiburoncito _ .”

“Like the one at your house?”

“How do you know we have an angel on top of our tree?”

“Dad told me that  _ Abuelita _ has  _ her _ mom’s angel now.”

“What makes you think that’s what we put on top of the tree?”

Noah frowned and titled his head in an almost perfect imitation of his father. “Why  _ wouldn’t _ you?”

Javier laughed, reaching over to ruffle his hair as the other adults joined in his laughter. “ _ Eres tan listo, nieto _ .”

“Takes after his parents,” Lucia said with a smile for her son and daughter-in-law.

“I  _ told _ you you weren’t the only smart one in this relationship,” Rafael said to his wife as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. 

Olivia laughed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re awfully complimentary lately,  _ Barba _ .”

“ _ Solo para ti,  _ **_Barba_ ** .”


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had most of this written for a while, but I got sick and it kicked my butt, so finishing and posting it got delayed. 
> 
> Anyway, the squad, and a few others, are back. Hope you all enjoy :) Special thanks to Hasbleidy and Sandra for their help with this chapter, and to motherbearof3 of letting me use her headacanon about Lucia.

* * *

The morning of the squad Christmas party, Rafael walked into the living room in search of his older daughter and saw her kneeling by the tree looking through the presents. 

“ _ Mija _ , what are you doing?” he asked with a laugh.

Miranda looked up at him. “Need a present.”

“You’ll get plenty of presents later.”

“Sad tree,” she explained before going back to her search.

“Why is the tree sad?”

“ _ My _ tree.”

“You want a present to put under  _ your  _ tree?”

Miranda sat down amongst the presents and looked up at him with a pout forming on her face. “Please, Daddy?”

Rafael knelt beside her and picked up a small present. “You can keep this one under your tree. But you have to bring it back here on Sunday morning,” he said as he handed it to her.

Miranda nodded. “Promise.”

“Let’s go put it under your tree and then get ready for the day, okay?”

“Okay,” Miranda agreed, keeping a tight hold on the present as Rafael stood and then lifted her into his arms. 

* * *

“Why is there a present under Miranda’s tree?” 

Rafael looked up from the pickles he’d been cutting for the bite-sized  _ medianoche _ . “She said her tree was sad.”

Olivia laughed as she walked over to him and kissed him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Rafael replied after stealing another kiss from her. “Where are the kids?”

“In the living room. Catie is in her swing, and Noah and Miranda are playing a memory game.”

“Want to give me some help while they’re all occupied?”

“Sure. How much longer until the  _ torticas de morón  _ are done?”

“I just put them in, so about twenty minutes.”

“Thank you for doing all of this. I know it was kind of last minute.”

Rafael shook his head. “The squad is family, too. It’ll be nice to see everyone. I  _ am _ glad we went with the potluck idea, though.”

“Your mom’s bread makes the  _ medianoche _ that much better.”

“I told you.”

Olivia laughed, leaning in to kiss him again. 

“Livia, you’re distracting me,” Rafael mock-complained.

“Mm, then I’m doing my job.”

“Oh really?”

Olivia nodded as she nudged him to turn towards her so she could wrap her arms around his neck. “Mm. You know you love me.”

“I  _ knew _ you were the one to teach Miranda that line.”

“What line?”

“The other day-when you sent Miranda to wake me up. She asked me if I loved her.”

“And what did you say?”

“What do you  _ think _ I said?”

“I  _ think _ that you said yes and then she asked for Mickey pancakes.”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at her. “So you admit you taught her that line?” 

Olivia laughed as she shook her head. “I admit nothing.”

* * *

Walking back into the living room, Olivia heard Catie begin to fuss. As she approached the little girl’s swing, she saw Miranda begin to move the stars on the mobile above Catie’s head. 

“ _ No llores. Mira. Estrellas _ .”

When Catie did as she instructed, Miranda smiled and leaned over to kiss her sister’s head. A few moments later, Olivia heard Noah say “Here, Catie,” and do something on the iPad before a recording of Rafael’s voice begin to sing:

_ Duérmete mi niňo, Duérmete mi amor _

_ Duérmete pedazo de mi corazón  _

* * *

A short while later, Catie stopped fussing and was happily watching the stars above her head. Placing one hand over her heart, Olivia used the other to wipe away the tears that had begun to fall as she watched her three children.

“Hey, are you okay?” Rafael asked as he joined her, concerned to see her crying.

Olivia gave him a watery smile. “Catie started fussing, but Miranda and Noah calmed her down. I’m not sure where they got a recording of you singing their favorite lullaby, but it worked.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “Mami made me do it. She insisted she needed it for when she babysits the kids, especially Catie. When we’re not here, she’ll apparently only go back to sleep if  _ I’m _ singing to her.”

“How many songs did she make you record?”

“Three.”

“I guess she got used to your voice from all that talking and singing you did to her before she was born. I think it’s sweet.”

“You just want to be able to use it when I go back to work.”

“She clearly likes it. I didn’t know Miranda knew that song, though.”

Rafael shrugged. “She loves music. Mami probably played it for her or something. Do you want me to make Catie a bottle while she’s still subdued?”

“Probably a good idea,” Olivia replied, giving him another kiss before joining their kids. 

* * *

Later that afternoon, Rafael was reading with Miranda when he felt her weight against him grow heavy. Looking down, he saw she was asleep. When Olivia looked up at him from her spot between Catie and Noah, the former of whom was also sleeping, he shared a smile with her and then tightened his arms around their older daughter. 

“You get to cuddle with her all the time,” he told his wife. “It’s my turn.”

Olivia rolled her eyes and shook her head as she unsuccessfully tried to hide her smile. Turning back to Noah, she noticed he seemed to be a little sleepy as well. “You can take a nap if you want, sweet boy.”

“It might not be a bad idea,  _ mijo _ ,” Rafael added. “That way you have enough energy to play with Jesse and the others.”

“Family nap time?” Noah asked, looking between his parents.

“Sounds good to me.”

“Can I use my movie bed?”

“If you help me make my own,” Olivia agreed.

Noah smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

* * *

A couple of hours later, the family of five was now awake and spending time together in the living room when they heard the doorbell ring, announcing the arrival of their first guest.

“Friends?” Miranda asked excitedly.

“Shall we go see?” Olivia asked, holding out her hand. 

Miranda nodded, taking her mother’s hand and walking down the hall with her, all the while practically vibrating with excitement.

* * *

Opening the door, Olivia smiled when she saw Sonny, Amanda, and Jesse standing outside. 

“Here, let me take that,” she said, reaching for the baking pan the other woman was holding.

“Have you been good for your mama,  _ cuoricino _ ?” Sonny asked as he scooped Miranda up into his arms. 

“Uncle Sonny!” Miranda giggled excitedly, hugging the older man tightly.

Olivia and Amanda shared an amused look before the former stepped back to let them all in. “You can put your coats in the closet,” Olivia told them.

“ _ Regali _ ?” Miranda asked, seeing the bag that Sonny had over his shoulder.

“You taught her to say ‘presents’ in Italian?”

Sonny shrugged. “She asked.”

“Auntie Liv, cookies,” Jesse announced, holding up the plastic container she held.

“Sonny, did you make cookies, too?” Olivia asked.

Sonny set Miranda on her feet and then took the container from Jesse. “We did some baking yesterday and might have made a little too much.”

“That’s an understatement,” Amanda said with a laugh. “Gia forgot to mention her recipe was meant for an  _ entire family _ .”

“It was fun!” Jesse added.

“¿ _ Galletas _ ?” Miranda asked.

“For later, sweet girl,” Olivia answered, running a hand over her hair. “Why don’t you and Jesse go play in the living room?”

Miranda pouted a little, but did as he mother suggested, leading Jesse into the living room. 

“So, how long until she gets a cookie?” Amanda asked as she and Sonny followed Olivia into the kitchen.

“Well,  _ someone _ promised to bring  _ buñuelos _ for her, so I’m trying to get her to save room for those”

“Let me guess-Nick.”

Olivia nodded. “She’s been asking for them all day. He finally took pity on her and sent a picture to prove he had made them.”

“She’s rather persistent when she wants to be, huh?”

Olivia laughed. “She  _ is _ Rafael’s daughter.”

* * *

As he was outside with Nick trying to fix the lights on the house, Rafael heard footsteps behind him. Turning, he grinned when he saw his childhood friend. 

“Eddie,” he said, clapping his friend on the back and then reaching out to ruffle Mateo’s hair. “I thought you couldn’t make it?”

“Someone asked to switch shifts with me at work, so here I am. I called Liv and she said it was okay.”

Rafael rolled his eyes at his long-time friend. “Eddie,  _ ni lo menciones, no hay problema. _ ”

Eddie laughed as he took one of the containers Mateo had been holding. “Mama made this. She sends her love.”

“ _ Arroz con gandules _ ,” Rafael said with a smile. “We got Miranda to try this last weekend at Mami’s and she loved it.”

“As much as she loves  _ buñuelos _ ?” Nick asked as he joined them. 

Rafael laughed. “I doubt that’s going to be topped as her favorite anytime soon.”

“ _ Abuela’s arroz con dulce _ is better,” Mateo told them. 

“Good luck debating that one with Miranda.”

At Eddie and Mateo’s confused looks, Nick playfully shoved his friend’s shoulder. “She’s about as stubborn as this one. Liv’s favorite saying is that she’s definitely Rafael’s daughter.”

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Olivia sat in the living room with her friends and family, and was about to suggest they all grab something to eat when she heard the doorbell ring again. 

“I think you should get that, Liv,” Rafael said. 

“Me, too, Mommy,” Miranda said as she hopped off her father’s lap and quickly walked over to her mother. She had been answering the door with Olivia all night and wasn’t about to be left out of greeting this guest, either.

Olivia took Miranda’s hand and led her down the hall. Opening the door, she was surprised to see three people she had thought wouldn’t be able to make it on short notice standing there. 

“Cragen? Eileen? Munch?” she asked in disbelief.

“Liv, how many times have I told you that you can call me Don?” Cragen replied with a laugh as he stepped up to hug her. 

“Who’s your mini-me?” Munch asked, indicating the little girl at her side.

Olivia smiled as she ran a hand over Miranda’s hair. “This is Rafael’s and my older daughter, Miranda. Miranda, sweet girl, these are Mommy and Daddy’s friends-your Uncle Don, Aunt Eileen, and Uncle Munch.”

“Hi,” Miranda said shyly. 

“She really does look a lot like you, Olivia,” Eileen said with a smile.

Olivia shared a smile with her daughter. “I guess that’s just another reason she was meant to be ours.”

“A Barba forever!” Miranda told them.

“That’s right, sweet girl,” Olivia said before turning back to her friends. “Who told you about the Christmas party? I thought you all had plans?”

“Your husband,” Munch replied. 

“Our plans changed,” Cragen added.

“Please, come in,”

* * *

“You have quite an assortment of food,” Cragen commented as he looked around Olivia’s kitchen.

Olivia laughed softly as she nodded. “Our family is kind of unconventional, so we figured our squad Christmas celebration should be, too. We just instructed everyone to bring one or two of their favorite holiday dishes.”

“It does my heart good to see you so happy, Liv. You know I care a lot about you.”

“Feeling’s mutual. I’m  _ very  _ happy. I married my best friend and we created this amazing family together.”

Cragen smiled, then looked over at a nearby plate and held up one of the caramel-covered twists. “What’s this?”

“That would be a  _ buñuelo _ . It’s a favorite of Miranda’s. Nick made them. Actually, I suspect his mother did, but he brought them.”

Cragen laughed and then took a bite. “Mm. I can understand why she likes them so much.”

“ _ Pastelitos _ are another favorite in the Barba household, but those are usually saved for Sunday brunch with Rafael’s parents.”

“Another understandable favorite.”

Olivia nodded as she picked up one of the  _ torticas de morón _ that Rafael had made. “So, have you and Eileen decided if you’re going to stay in the city or move somewhere else?”

“Our family is here, so this is where our home base will be,” Cragen answered. “But we plan on doing some more traveling after the holidays. How long have you been in this house now?”

“Only a few months, but it’s home. Noah recently moved to the second bedroom here on the first floor so Catie could have his old room upstairs, but our friends quickly helped him decorate it and he loves it.”

“How are things at SVU?”

“Good,” Olivia said with a smile. “At least that’s what Fin tells me. I won’t go back for a couple of months yet, although Rafael will be going back after the first of the year. He was recently promoted to Executive ADA.”

“Is he staying on with SVU?”

“He better.”

Cragen laughed. “He wouldn’t leave you, Liv.”

* * *

After exchanging gifts, Olivia leaned into Rafael’s side as she watched their older kids playing with Jesse, Zara, Gil, Mateo, and Jayden while Alice held Catie. 

“Good day?” Rafael asked as he pressed a kiss to her temple. 

Oliva smiled. “Yes. I’m glad we did this. We certainly had a variety of food.”

“I’m not sure if Miranda was more excited about the  _ buñuelos  _ or her  _ regalos _ .”

“Did you know that Sonny taught her to say ‘presents’ in Italian?”

Rafael chuckled. “No, but I’m not surprised. She’ll be multilingual like her mom.”

“She  _ is _ a smart little girl.”

* * *

“Liv, you got a minute?”

Olivia looked up from a new shapes game she had been helping Miranda with. “Sure, let’s go in the kitchen,” she said before turning to her older daughter. “Mommy will be right back, sweet girl.”

Miranda nodded, focusing on the game again.

“I’d say that gift is a hit,” Amanda commented as she and Olivia walked into the kitchen.

“Jesse seems to love hers, too.”

“Yeah, and she’ll be gettin’ more in a few days, too.”

“Everything okay?”

Amanda picked up one of the cookies she, Sonny, and Jesse had made. “Sonny and I are getting married tomorrow. It’s just the courthouse, and it’s super last minute, but...well, Sonny and I’d really love it if you and Rafael could be there with us. The kids, too.”

“Of course,” Olivia answered immediately. “And it’s not  _ just _ the courthouse. Rafael and I got married there. The location doesn’t matter.”

“I want to be married before the baby is born,” Amanda admitted, placing a hand on her stomach as she munched on the cookie.

Olivia nodded. “Understandable.”

“My parents aren’t comin’. My sister has somethin’ goin’ on and she’s more important.”

Olivia reached over and placed a hand on her friend’s arm. “I’m sorry, Amanda. But Rafael and I would love to be there. Family is what you make it. We wouldn’t have all of these different dishes if we hadn’t created our own family.”

Amanda laughed and nodded. “There’s definitely a variety,” she agreed as she reached for another cookie.

“I didn’t expect to see Eddie here tonight.”

“We didn’t, either,” Olivia replied, reaching for another cookie of her own. “But things worked out and he ended up being able to make it. It means a lot to Rafa to have him here.”

Amanda smiled. “I understand.”

* * *

After all of their guests had left, Olivia and Rafael sat in the living room with their children and surveyed the gifts they’d been given. 

Noah had gotten Brain Quest trivia cards from Munch, the game of Twister from Fin and Rita, a personalized book from Cragen and Eileen, a hooded shark towel from Erin, a Star Wars themed Lego set from Nick and Cynthia, a couple of Dr. Suess books from Mike and Alice, new crayons, colored pencils, and a variety of paper from Eddie, and a Harry Potter themed Lego set from Sonny and Amanda. 

Miranda had gotten “The Giant Book of Whys” from Munch, a Lumpy light switch cover and the game of Perfection from Fin and Rita, a personalized name puzzle from Cragen and Eileen, a Marisol American Girl doll from Sonny and Amanda, a Lumpy-ears headband, new coloring book, and crayons from Nick and Cynthia, a hooded elephant towel from Erin, a variety of play-doh from Eddie, and Magna-tiles from Mike and Alice.

Catie had gotten a couple of soft activity books from Munch, a new playmat from Sonny and Amanda, a hooded duck towel from Erin, a new blanket from Cragen and Eileen, a Baby Einstein plush octopus from Fin and Rita, new pajamas and onesies from Mike and Alice, a musical pulldown bear from Eddie, and a couple of hanging rattle toys from Nick and Cynthia.

“Maybe we should tell my family not to get them anything else,” Rafael joked.   
Olivia shoved his shoulder playfully. “Hush, Rafa.”

Rafael laughed as he reached to rattle one of Catie’s new toys, making the little girl giggle. “At least we know they’ll be entertained for a while.”

“New shapes!” Miranda exclaimed, reaching for the magna-tiles. 

“Here, let Mommy help you with that, sweet girl,” Olivia said, holding her hands out for the box as Noah handed Rafael a set of the Brain Quest cards. 

* * *

Standing outside of Lucia’s door, Lucy took a deep breath before raising her hand to knock. The woman had become like a surrogate grandmother to her and had told her she always had an open invitation to stop by. When Javier had moved in, he had seconded that statement. 

“Lucy,  _ tesora _ , what’s wrong?” Lucia asked when she answered the door and noticed the upset look on the younger woman’s face.

“I got into a big fight with my roommate. I packed up as much as I could fit into my car and left. I could go to my parents’, but I promised Liv and Rafael that I would stay close in case they needed me and I didn’t want to interrupt their night with their friends…”

Lucia waved the younger girl inside. “It’s no trouble. Javi and I were just wrapping presents while we watch a movie. Have you eaten?”

“No,” Lucy answered as she stepped inside.

“Javi,” Lucia called. “Could you warm up some of the chicken soup for Lucy?”

“Of course,  _ mi amor _ ,” Javier replied.

* * *

“You’ve mentioned this roommate before,” Lucia said as she took a seat across from Lucy at the table. “I thought you were moving out soon?”

“That was the original plan. But the person I was supposed to move in with had to back out at the last minute. I was going to start looking again after finals, but they’re not technically over yet...I have one more paper to finish before Monday. But she couldn’t even give me that.”

“I think I know the perfect place,” Javier said as he sat down next to Lucia and shared a look with her.

Lucia smiled at him and then turned back to Lucy. “Javi hasn’t found anyone to rent his apartment yet. It’s a little further away than your current place, but it’s quiet and in a good neighborhood.”

“I can’t afford a place by myself…”

“I’m not looking for a lot of money. You do so much for our family, it’s the least we could do for  _ you _ ,” Javier insisted.

“I...don’t know what to say.”

“You’re welcome to stay in the guest room tonight, and we can show you the apartment in the morning,” Lucia said. “It’s getting late.”

At Lucy’s surprised expression, Javier chuckled. “You’re just going to have to accept that you’re part of this big, crazy family of ours.”

“You take such good care of three of the most precious people in my life  _ and _ you’re a good friend to two more of them. You helped Liv so much when she was pregnant and you didn’t have to,” Lucia added.

Lucy shook her head. “She’s not just my employer. She’s my friend. It’s what friends do.”

Lucia smiled and nodded. “Exactly. We’re big on taking care of each other in this family. You can work on your paper here, as long as you don’t mind some Christmas movies playing in the background.”

“Actually, maybe you could help me. The teacher I originally interviewed for this paper never got back to me and I was going to call her in the morning, but could I maybe interview  _ you _ instead?”

“Of course,  _ tesora _ . You finish your soup and get your things settled in the guest room first, though.”

“Rafael was right. You never stop being a mom, do you?”

Lucia laughed as she shook her head. “No,  _ tesora _ , I don’t.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is for Sandra, my friend who lets me bug her with any and all Spanish-type questions whenever they come up. I hope you're feeling better, amiga.
> 
> I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who has commented on this fic, especially the last few chapters. Between being sick and having a bit of writer's block, sometimes it felt like I was never going to get back to fic writing, but your comments have kept me going. To those who have chatted with me on Twitter, a big thank you to you as well. Your well-wishes and friendship mean so much.
> 
> Anyway, mostly mirbarsonoah in this chapter with a bit of Rollisi thrown in. Hope you all enjoy! I'm hoping to get the next chapter written and up by Christmas, but we'll see. I have some other things I need to finish first.

* * *

“Livia,  _ mi amor _ , what’s wrong?”

Olivia looked up at the sound of her husband’s voice. When he saw the tears in her eyes, he immediately rushed to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

“Amanda and Sonny want all the kids at the courthouse this afternoon, but when I agreed to Miranda’s request to wear our purple dresses again, I forgot about the fact that  _ Catie _ doesn’t have one….and I don’t have time to go get one. But I know it will upset Miranda if I decide to change colors.”

Rafael pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Let me make a few phone calls, see what I can do. Catie is in her crib, but where are our other two children?”

“Noah saw me start to tear up when Miranda asked about Catie’s outfit, so he volunteered to give her a tower-building lesson with  _ her _ bricks.”

“I’ll take Catie downstairs with me, why don’t you take a bath?”

“I feel like I can’t take care of the kids. What am I going to do when you go back to work?”

“Well, for one, I’ll be working from here two or three days a week, depending on court and everything. For two, we have Lucy, who loves the kids and is always willing to help, and Noah will be at school all day. Miranda can go to daycare as much as we need her to, and she has some playdates arranged as well. For three, you are a wonderful mother and can absolutely take care of our kids.  _ We _ will figure it out. Let’s just take one thing at a time, okay?”

Olivia sniffled and nodded. Before she or Rafael could say anything else, Catie began to fuss. Standing, Olivia walked over to the crib and picked up her daughter. 

“I’m sorry, were we ignoring you?” she teased before pressing a kiss to the baby’s head. “Daddy is going to take you to see your brother and sister while he prepares your breakfast.”

Catie blinked up at her mother and Olivia swore the little girl understood everything she was saying. 

Rafael gave his wife a kiss before she handed their baby to him. 

“Be good for Daddy,” Olivia said, pressing one more kiss to Catie’s forehead before walking into the bathroom.

“Now that we’re alone, I can tell you all about what I got Mommy for Christmas,” Rafael said as he began to walk out of the room. He knew Olivia could hear him, but that was the point.

* * *

“Daddy, look!” Miranda exclaimed when Rafael walked into the living room.

“Good job,  _ corazoncito _ ,” he replied, admiring the tower she and Noah were working on before settling on the couch with Catie and beginning to feed her. 

“Where’s Mom?” Noah asked.

“Taking a bath,” Rafael answered. 

“With the bubbles we got her?”

“Most likely.”

While Rafael and Noah had been talking, Miranda had climbed up onto the couch beside him and was peering over at her sister.

“Still very small,” she observed.

Rafael chuckled. “Yes, she’ll be small for a while yet,  _ mija _ . She’s not even a month old.”

Miranda tilted her head as she seemed to file away this information before asking a question.

“Mommy sad?”

“She was a little sad, but she’s feeling better.”

“Catie 's dress  _ no es morado _ .”

“Didn’t  _ Tía  _ Sol just give Catie clothes?” Noah asked.

Rafael smiled as he remembered the box his sister had dropped off just a couple of days before. He and Olivia hadn’t had time to go through it yet, but he was hoping there was a purple dress in there somewhere. “She did,” he confirmed. “It’s in the office.”

“Come on, Miranda,” Noah said. “Let’s search for  _ morado _ .”

Miranda smiled and nodded, carefully climbing down from the couch before following her brother to their parents’ home office. 

* * *

When she emerged from the bathroom, Olivia saw Rafael sitting on the edge of the bed with Catie in his arms….dressed in a purple top and black pants.

“Where did you find that?” she asked, not recognizing the outfit.

“It was in the box that Sol dropped off the other day. Noah and Miranda found it. It’s not a dress, but it’s purple. Miranda has agreed to adjust her outfit accordingly.”

“Remind me to thank your sister….and our kids.”

“They’re smart.” 

“How did tower-building go?”

Rafael nodded towards his phone, which was sitting on the bedside table. “We took pictures. The kids were disappointed that they needed to put the tower away, so I agreed to take pictures and promised them each a copy.”

Olivia smiled as she picked up her husband’s phone and quickly found the pictures. “How much of this did Miranda do?”

“Most of it, actually. We may have another future Lego fan.”

“Well, she’s in good company, then.”

* * *

“Rafael? I didn’t expect to see you back here yet.”

Rafael turned his head at the sound of his boss’ voice. “We’re meeting a couple of our friends here,” he said, nodding his head toward Olivia and the kids.

“Uncle Jack,” Miranda said with a smile. “¿ _ Regalo _ ?”

“ **_En Navidad_ ** ,  _ mija _ ,” Rafael told her. “ _ No más hasta entonces _ .”

“She’s under the impression that she always gets presents,” Olivia explained with a pointed look for her husband. “ _ Someone _ has been spoiling her incessantly.”

Rafael rolled his eyes at her, eliciting a chuckle from Jack. 

“Uncle Jack, have you met Catie?” Noah asked.

“I’ve seen pictures, but I haven’t officially met her yet,” Jack replied.

Olivia uncovered Catie’s car seat before turning back to the older man. “Jack, this Rafael’s and my younger daughter, Catalina Benson Barba. Also known as Catie.”

“Aren’t you a pretty girl,” Jack said with a wide smile. The words and expression were so un-Jack-like that it caused Rafael and Olivia to exchange a confused look. 

“I wish we could stay longer,” Olivia apologized, the first to recover, “but we’re already running a little late as it is.”

Jack nodded before turning to Rafael. “I have cases for you. I can leave them with Abby if you want to pick them up. Nothing needs to be done until after the first of the year, just as we discussed.”

Rafael shrugged. “As long as we don’t need to get Catie home right away,” he agreed.

“Of course. If that happens, just have Carmen get in touch with Abby and she’ll arrange to have them brought to you.”

Rafael nodded before tugging on the hands of his two older children and beginning to walk with them again while Olivia followed close beside them with Catie.

* * *

“Liv,” Amanda said with a sigh of relief when she saw her friend.

“Is everything okay?” Olivia asked, concerned by the other woman’s tone.

“I’m just happy you could make it. I, uh, don’t have a lot of people here, you know.”

“We’re family. We got stopped by Jack McCoy, otherwise we would have been here sooner.”

“How’s the little one today?” 

Olivia smiled down at her younger daughter, who was blinking up at them. “She’s happy today, I think. She fussed a little this morning, but she seems pretty content now,” she answered, setting the car seat down and unstrapping Catie so she could hold her. 

“Ya'll color-coordinated?” Amanda asked with a laugh, looking over at Miranda, Noah, and Rafael, who had now all shed their winter coats.

Olivia simply shrugged. “It makes Miranda happy...and Noah is always happy to coordinate with Rafael.”

“It’s cute.”

“Where’s Jesse?”

Amanda pointed to the corner, where Sonny and his parents were talking with Fin. He held Jesse in his arms, her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist, and her head on his shoulder. 

“He’s adopting her today, too.”

“She already calls him Papa, so it’s about time to make it official.”

Amanda smiled and nodded. “You ever think our kids chose our husbands for us?”

Olivia laughed. “I think the fact that Rafael and Noah, and Sonny and Jesse, bonded so quickly just shows that they’re the ones we’re supposed to be with.”

“Ya'll bonded with Miranda pretty quick, too.”

“We did. She was meant to be ours.”

“Do you ever look at Rafael and ask ‘why me?’”

“Not so much anymore, but in the beginning, definitely. He had the same thoughts, though. You’re not having doubts about you and Sonny, are you?”

Amanda shook her head. “Definitely not. I just...I love him so much, ya know?”

Olivia nodded. “I understand.”

* * *

“Do you, Dominick, take Amanda, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

Sonny smiled at Amanda. “I do,” he said clearly as he slid her wedding ring on her finger.

“Do you, Amanda, take Dominick, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

Amanda returned Sonny’s smile. “I do,” she answered, sliding Sonny’s ring on his finger.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Sonny grinned at Amanda before pulling her close and kissing her. Amanda smiled into their kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“You’re  _ really _ stuck with me now,” she teased quietly when they broke apart.

Sonny chuckled. “I think  _ you’re _ the one who’s stuck,” he countered.

“I think the two of ya have been hangin’ around Liv and Barba too much,” Fin said as he claimed his hug from Amanda.

“I heard that, Fin,” Olivia responded, eliciting laughter from the rest of the room’s occupants. 

* * *

Later that night, Olivia surveyed the cookie baking ingredients that were currently spread out across the counter. Sugar cookie dough, flour, rolling pin, and cookie cutters. There were also two containers of frosting in the fridge. She didn’t think they’d need more than one, but had decided to get two just in case. 

“Where’s Daddy?” Miranda wondered, leaning onto the counter and peering at the cookie cutters.

“Right here,” Rafael answered, walking into the kitchen with a freshly bathed and pajama-clad Catie in his arms. 

“Is Catie going to watch?” Noah asked.

Rafael nodded as he put Catie in the swing they had moved to the kitchen. “For a little while, anyway. She’s pretty sleepy.”

“Maybe we should just put her to sleep?” Olivia suggested.

“She wants to spend some time with her brother and sister before she goes to bed.”

Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. “You can read her mind now or something?”

Rafael smirked at her. “I can read yours pretty well...and I’m usually able to read Noah’s and Miranda’s….so it’s only logical that I can read Catie’s, too.”

Miranda and Noah giggled as Olivia rolled her eyes. 

“Why don’t each of you give Catie a kiss before you get all full of cookie ingredients?” Rafael suggested.

“Okay,” both kids said together before doing as he suggested and then returning to their seats. 

* * *

While Rafael helped Noah begin to frost the first batch of cookies and the second batch were cooking in the oven, Olivia and Miranda began to prepare the third batch. When Miranda attempted to make a reindeer-shaped cookie, her third attempt of the night by herself, and it broke apart when she lifted the cookie-cutter, she frowned as her eyes began to water. 

“I don’t like that one,” she said, tossing it in frustration. 

Olivia reached across the counter and laid her hand on top of Miranda’s. They would talk about throwing things later, but for now, she wanted to find out what was wrong. “Sweet girl, talk to Mommy. What’s the matter?”

“Can’t make reindeer,”Miranda replied tearfully. 

“Do you want me to help you?”

“Do it myself.”

“Can I help just  _ a little _ ?” 

Miranda shook her head. “No! Do it myself!” she insisted.

“Can I help with  _ one _ and then you can try again by yourself?”

Miranda shook her head again. “Do it myself,” she repeated.

“Okay...how about  _ I _ make one and then  _ you _ make one?” Olivia tried again.

Miranda thought about this option for a few moments before she nodded her head. “Okay.”

Olivia smiled at her and then re-rolled the remaining dough before picking up the reindeer-shaped cookie cutter again. After carefully pressing down all of the sides and then pressing the cookie cutter into the dough one final time using her palm, she lifted the cookie cutter and smiled when she saw the reindeer-shaped dough. 

“My turn,” Miranda insisted, reaching for the cookie cutter. 

Mimicking her mother’s earlier actions, Miranda let the cookie cutter sit in the dough for a moment before carefully lifting it up. The entire reindeer shape was intact. 

“Mommy!” she said excitedly.

“Good job, my sweet girl,” Olivia said with a smile, walking around the counter to hug her and press a kiss to the top of her head. “What shape do you want to make next?”

Miranda surveyed the remaining shapes and then picked up the Christmas tree-shaped one. “A tree.”

“Good choice.”

* * *

After putting both older children to bed and settling Catie in her crib in the living room, Olivia and Rafael cuddled together on the couch underneath the quilt his grandmother had made while they watched a movie together. By half-way through the movie, both adults and Catie were all asleep. A short while later, Rafael felt as though someone was shaking his shoulder. Blinking, his eyes widened when he saw his grandmother standing by the end of the couch.

“¿ _ Abuelita _ ?” he asked in disbelief, carefully keeping his voice low so as not to wake his sleeping wife and daughter.

“Don’t worry,  _ Rafi _ , they can’t hear us.”

Rafael carefully disentangled himself from Olivia before standing and walking over to his grandmother. “How are you here?”

“Same way as before,” Catalina answered cryptically. 

“Is  _ Abuelito _ here?”

Catalina shook her head. “He gave me his time so you and I could chat for a bit. He sends his love.”

“I miss you both so much.”

Catalina raised her hand to cup Rafael’s cheek in her hand. “We miss you, too, but it’s not time for you to join us yet. Not for a long time,  _ nieto _ .”

“Have you seen Catie?”

Catalina smiled and nodded. “ _ Ella es muy preciosa,  _ Rafi,  _ y tan hermosa _ . I can’t believe you named her after me.”

“It was Olivia’s idea. She understands how much you mean...meant...to me.”

Catalina studied her grandson closely. “You still seem doubtful,  _ nieto _ . What’s on your mind?”

Rafael sighed. “She could have anyone she wants,  _ Abuelita _ .”

“She chose  _ you _ . I can see how much she loves you….and how much you love her in return.  _ Ella es tu alma gemela _ . Why are you so doubtful?”

“I love her so much,  _ Abuelita _ .  _ Ella es mi mundo _ . Her and the kids...they’re  _ everything _ to me. But I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing most of the time. I’m trying to be a good husband and father, but sometimes I feel like I could do  _ more _ .”

“Oh, Rafi,” Catalina said, hugging him close. “Your family loves you for exactly who you are. You are a  _ wonderful _ husband and father.”

Rafael wiped tears from his eyes as he pulled back. “I’m a little worried about Miranda.”

“Why?”

“She keeps having nightmares about being sent back or left alone. They’ve gotten less and less common as time goes on, but I don’t  _ ever _ want her to doubt her place in our family.”

“She just needs time,  _ nieto _ . Her first few years were not very happy or stable. The love you and your Olivia give to her makes her so happy. She’s a very proud big sister, too.”

Rafael chuckled. “She’s very curious about Catie. Actually, she’s very curious in general.”

“So were you at her age. It brings your  _ abuelito _ and I great joy to watch all of you together.”

“Did you tell  _ Marta _ all about us?” Rafael teased, referring to her best friend that had passed just a few years before she did.

Catalina smiled. “I may have done some bragging. I’m so proud of you, Rafi.”

“What do you think of Noah?”

“He’s a smart boy. He loves you, his mom, and his sisters very much. But I can tell he misses spending time alone with you and your Olivia.”

Rafael nodded. “I had a feeling. I’m looking into a couple of different things for us to do while he’s still off of school next week. He and Liv already have plans to go to a movie, so I want to do something different.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You always do. He just wants to spend time with you. He’ll love whatever you decide,” Catalina told him. “I need to go now, Rafi, but remember that  _ Abuelito _ and I love you very much, and we’re always watching over you and your beautiful family.”

“ _ Te amo, Abuelita _ ,” Rafael said, hugging his grandmother tightly.

“ _ Te amo,  _ Rafi,” Catalina replied, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

* * *

“Rafa, wake up.”

Rafael blinked open his eyes and brought his wife’s face into focus. She was standing over him with Catie in her arms. “I think I hear Miranda crying, but I need to put Catie back to sleep.”

“I’ll go check on her,” Rafael replied, standing and pressing a kiss to her cheek before quickly making his way upstairs and into his older daughter’s room. 

“Daddy!” Miranda gasped when she saw him, reaching the arm not wrapped around Lovey and Lumpy out to him. 

“Did you have a bad dream,  _ mija _ ?” he asked, settling beside her on the bed and pulling her into his arms. 

Miranda nodded against his chest. “ _ No regalos. No familia _ .”

Rafael hugged her tightly. “You’ll get plenty of  _ regalos _ in just a couple of days, and your  _ familia _ is right here. Mommy is downstairs with Catie, and Noah is in his room.”

“Love you. Love them,” Miranda mumbled sleepily. 

Rafael pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “We love you, too,  _ corazoncito _ . We’re happy you’re here with us.”

“Lovey and Lumpy too?”

Rafael chuckled, pressing another kiss to the top of her head. “Yes, Lovey and Lumpy, too. Do you think you can go back to sleep?”

“You stay until then?”

“I promise.”

Miranda scooted to lay back down, laying her head on her pillow and hugging Lovey and Lumpy close as Rafael covered her back up. He ran his fingers through her hair a couple of times before rubbing her back until he felt her breathing even out. 

After a couple more minutes, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple. “ _ Te amo mucho, mi corazoncito _ .”

* * *

When he walked into the room he shared with Olivia, he saw Catie in her crib fast asleep and Olivia lying on her side in their bed. Laying down beside her, he leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. “I love you.”

Olivia smiled at him. “I love you, too.”

“Catie go to sleep okay?”

“Yes. Noah is still fast asleep, too. Is Miranda okay?”

“Just a bad dream. She’s sleeping again for now, but she’ll probably be in here early looking to cuddle.”

Olivia poked him in the side. “You love it and you know it.”

Rafael chuckled, pulling her into his arms. “I love all of you very much.”

Olivia smiled as she cuddled close, laying her head on his shoulder and resting her hand on his chest before closing her eyes. “We love you, too, Rafa. Are you okay, by the way? You looked kind of out of it when I woke you up.”

“I talked to my  _ Abuelita _ again.”

“Another dream?”

“Yeah. Just like when she was alive, she always knows just what I need.”

“I figured she had to be a smart woman to raise your mom and to help raise you.”

“You two would have gotten along well.”

Olivia pressed a kiss to his chest. “ _ Buenas noches, mi amor. _ ”

“ _ Buenas noches, mi vida _ .”

* * *

A few hours later, Rafael again woke to someone shaking his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw Miranda standing next to the bed, a hopeful look on her face. 

“Sleep more now and we can talk about  _ un regalo _ later,” he told her, lifting up the comforter.

Miranda grinned and nodded, quickly climbing into the bed and cuddling into her father’s side. 

* * *

By the time Rafael woke up again a couple of hours later, he noticed a curly head of hair on the other side of Olivia. Lifting his head, he met the blue eyes of his son. 

“Christmas Eve family cuddle time,” Noah said softly, careful not to wake his still sleeping mother.

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Love you,  _ mijo _ .”

“Love you, too, Dad,” he said before laying his head back down on the pillow and closing his eyes. 

_ ‘I guess we’re sleeping in _ ’ Rafael thought to himself, immediately adding that he was perfectly fine with that. They’d all had a busy last few days and could do with some extra rest before the crazy day that tomorrow surely would be.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas with Barson and family :) 
> 
> Special thanks to thousand_miles for reviewing everything I write, and to Sandra for being an amazing Spanish translator. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy! (Also, I will have two new stories available tomorrow as part of the barson secret santa exchange so make sure to check those out ;) they will have a different publication date than 12/24 since I wrote them/uploaded them to the collection earlier in the month, but they'll be in my profile if you can't find them in the fic listings)

* * *

After breakfast, Rafael settled the two older kids in the living room with a Christmas movie while he cleaned up the kitchen and Olivia fed Catie. 

“Did you decide what you’re going to do with Noah on your day together?” Olivia asked.

“I was going to take him to this sledding hill that Eddie and I used to go to when we were kids,” Rafael replied as he wiped down the counter.

“I think he’d like that. He loves that new sled you got him. Although you really didn’t need to get Miranda one, too.”

“She didn’t have one and Noah’s old one was broken, so it’s not like we could have given her that one.”

“I forgot about that. Maybe your mom could watch Catie one day and we could take both kids?”

“Trying to steal my ideas?” Rafael teased.

Olivia laughed and rolled her eyes. “Never. It’s just…when I picked Miranda up from daycare last week, we passed a bunch of kids sliding down a small hill and she said she wanted to know if  _ she  _ could do that.”

Rafael frowned. His grandmother had told him that Miranda’s first years were not the best, but it broke his heart to think anyone would deny that little girl any happiness. 

“You’re not going to build her a sledding hill of her own, are you?” Olivia teased. 

Rafael rolled his eyes at her. “No. I was just thinking about what  _ Abuelita _ told me about Miranda’s first couple of years.”

Olivia sent him a sympathetic look. “We know they weren’t great. But she’s ours now and you can see how happy she is.”

“She still has dreams about being alone, about being sent back.”

“But they’re getting less frequent.”

Rafael sighed. “I still don’t like them.”

“Rafa, I know you want nothing more than to take away all of the bad things in life for me and the kids, but you know as well as I do that some things just take time. All we can do for Miranda is keep reminding her and showing her how much we love her. She was meant to be ours, just like Noah and Catie.”

“We didn’t adopt Noah together…”

“But you were there. Every step of the way. If I had called you in the middle of the night in a panic, what would you have done?”

“Whatever you needed,” Rafael answered automatically.

Olivia smiled at him. “So you didn’t officially become Noah’s father until he was a bit older. But you’ve loved us both for years. I  _ know _ Noah felt that as much as I did.”

“Noah  _ is _ my son,” Rafael said, stopping when he saw Miranda arrive at Olivia’s side. “What do you think  _ you’re _ doing, young lady?”

“Movie’s boring,” she answered with a shrug. “Play outside now?”

“I thought you wanted to watch that movie.”

“Not anymore.”

Olivia laughed, raising an eyebrow at her husband. “You  _ did _ promise to play outside with her.”

“She’s impatient, just like her mother.”

Miranda frowned at her father. “Mommy patient,” she argued, eliciting more laughter from Olivia.

“With you maybe,” Rafael countered, smirking when he saw Olivia roll her eyes. 

“ _ Por favor _ , Daddy?” 

Rafael sighed, knowing this was a losing battle. “Okay, we can go play outside,  _ but _ you have to brush your teeth first.”

Miranda seemed to consider the offer for a moment before she simply smiled, held out her hand, and said, “Okay. You help?”

“Of course,  _ mija _ ,” Rafael replied, shooting his wife a confused look, which only caused her to laugh again. 

“Daddy!” Miranda laughed as Rafael scooped her up and pressed a loud kiss to her cheek. 

“Come on,  _ mi corazoncito _ , let’s get your brother and then get ready to go play outside.”

* * *

After playing outside with the kids for a while, Rafael brought them back inside so they could spend some time with Olivia and Catie. He was helping Miranda take off her boots when he heard the doorbell ring. 

“Stay here,  _ mijos _ ,” he said before standing and walking the short distance to the door. When he opened it and saw his parents standing on the other side, he was confused. “Mami, Papi, Christmas isn’t until tomorrow…”

“Our plans changed and we were in the area, so we thought we would take the kids for a while so you and Olivia could have some time to yourselves,” Lucia explained.

“We can watch them here if that’s easier,” Javier added, seeing the slightly distressed look on his son’s face.

“It would be,” Rafael replied, stepping back to allow them in before turning back to the kids. “ _ Mijos, _ look who’s here to see you.”

“ _ ¡Abuelita!¡Abuelito! _ ” Noah and Miranda chorused together before rushing over to their grandparents. 

“ _ Nieta _ , you still have your snow pants and one boot on,” Lucia said with a laugh as she bent down to hug the little girl. 

“Playing outside,  _ Abuelita _ .”

“We just got back inside,” Noah elaborated.

“Ah, well, then let’s get your outside things back where they belong while  _ Abuelito _ makes you some hot chocolate to help warm you up.”

“ _¿Dónde está_ _mi nieta pequeña_?” Javier asked Rafael. 

“Just finished getting dressed after her bath,” Olivia answered as she walked into the room with Catie in her arms. “I didn’t realize you two were  _ that _ close to our house.”

“You knew?” Rafael asked her.

“Luci called, but you were outside with Noah and Miranda and I was in the middle of giving Catie a bath.”

“Here, let me take her,” Javier said, reaching for Catie. 

“I’ll take  _ him _ ,” Olivia replied, grabbing Rafael’s hand and leading him away, eliciting laughter from Jaiver and Lucia.

“Mommy and Daddy leave?” Miranda asked, looking panickedly between her grandparents.

“No,  _ nieta _ , they’re just going to spend some time together while you and your siblings play with  _ Abuelito _ and me.”

Miranda still looked sad. “ _ No abrazo _ ,” she said before quickly taking off in the direction her parents had gone.

“ _ Abuelita _ ,” Noah said, gaining Lucia’s attention. “I’m hungry.”

Lucia ran a hand over his hair. “Okay,  _ nieto _ , let’s see what we can find,” she said, leading him into the kitchen.

* * *

Rafael was about to shut his and Olivia’s bedroom door behind himself when he heard Miranda’s voice calling out to them. He bent to catch the emotional little girl in his arms. 

“ _ Corazoncito _ , what’s wrong?”

“ _ No abrazo _ .”

“We’re not going anywhere,  _ mija _ .”

“ _Aún así_ _quiero un abrazo_.” 

“Okay, you can have a hug,” Rafael told her, tightening his arms around her. 

“Miranda, sweet girl, what’s wrong?” Olivia asked, kneeling in front of her older daughter and running a hand over her hair. “Why are you crying?”

Miranda sniffled. “ _ Quiero un abrazo _ ,” she said softly.

“Of course you can have a hug.”

Miranda moved from her father’s embrace to her mother’s, wrapping her arms tightly around the older woman’s neck. 

Olivia returned her daughter’s hug tightly before pulling back and running a hand over Miranda’s hair again.”Mommy and Daddy are going to be right here, spending time just the two of us, okay?  _ Abuelita  _ and  _ Abuelito _ are here to play with you, Noah, and Catie.”

“Movie later?” 

Olivia smiled and nodded. “Sure. You and Noah pick out a good one for us all to watch, okay?”

Miranda nodded. “Okay.”

“Good, now I thought I heard something about  _ Abuelito _ making hot chocolate. You don’t want to miss that, do you?”

Miranda shook her head. 

“Then you’d better hurry before Noah drinks it all,” Rafael said. “You know how much he loves chocolate.”

Miranda giggled as she shook her head. “ _ Abuelita _ won’t let him.”

“Well, you better go claim yours just in case.”

Miranda smiled and nodded, rushing out of the room just as quickly as she’d rushed into it a few minutes before. Once they heard Lucia, who had come upstairs looking for Miranda, talking to the little girl, they closed the bedroom door.

“Movie or sleep?” Rafael asked.

Olivia laughed as they got into bed and she rested her head on his shoulder. “We could try to finish our movie from the other night. I make no guarantees about being able to stay awake, though.”

Rafael chuckled, wrapping his arm around her as he selected the movie. “Me, neither. But I’m never going to turn down an opportunity to hold you, awake or asleep.”

“You’re such a sap,” Olivia teased, leaning close for a kiss.

“Yet you married me anyway,” Rafael replied before brushing his lips with hers again.

“I love your sappy side.”

Rafael rolled his eyes. “As long as  _ you _ are the only one that knows.”

“Pretty sure your family knows. So do the kids.”

“Okay,  _ fine _ , as long as only  _ our family _ knows.”

Olivia cuddled closer. “Whatever you say, Rafa.”

* * *

“ _ Abuelita _ , new shapes!” Miranda exclaimed when she, Noah, Catie, and their grandparents entered the living room. 

“New shapes?” Lucia repeated.

Miranda held up the new Magna-tiles game she had gotten from Mike and Alice a few days before. “New shapes!”

“It’s her new favorite game,” Noah told her.

“Well, she mastered the shapes cube a while ago,” Javier said with a laugh as he settled Catie in her swing. “What do  _ you _ want to do,  _ nieto _ ?”

“Will you read with me?”

“Of course.”

Noah took his grandfather’s hand and led him down the hall to his room, where he took out his new books to show him. 

* * *

A couple of hours later, Olivia blinked her eyes open and smiled when she saw Rafael still fast asleep beside her. She tried to carefully extract herself from his embrace in order to let him rest some more, but he held her tight. 

“Stay, Livia,” he said sleepily.

Olivia smiled and laid her head back down on his shoulder as she settled back into his side. She would take all the time alone with him she could get. 

* * *

Later that night, after dinner with Lucia and Javier, Rafael, Olivia, and the kids cuddled together on the couch to watch a Christmas movie while Catie slept nearby.

“What movie did you pick?” Rafael asked. 

“ _ Muppets _ !” Miranda said excitedly.

“ _ The Muppet Christmas Carol _ ,” Noah explained.

“Again?” Olivia asked.

“Again!” Miranda and Noah chorused together.

“ _ Muppets _ it is,” Rafael said, selecting the movie and then looking over to check on Catie.

“Still asleep?” Olivia checked.

“Still asleep.”

“Movie, Mommy!” Miranda said from her spot next to Rafael.

“I know, sweet girl,” Olivia replied with a smile. 

“I like movie nights,” Noah commented from her side.

Olivia pressed a kiss to his head. “Me, too.”

* * *

The next morning, Rafael woke to the feeling of a small body jumping on top of him. 

“Daddy,  _ es Navidad! _ ,” said body exclaimed excitedly.

Rafael wrapped his arms around his daughter as he opened his eyes to look at the time. 5am. 

“ _ Mija,  _ how long have you been awake?” 

Miranda shrugged. “ _ ¡Es Navidad! _ ” 

“Where 's my  _ abrazo de Navidad _ ?” Rafael heard Olivia ask from beside him.

“ _ ¡Abrazo de navidad! _ ” Miranda said as she crawled over her father to reach her mother.

“Merry Christmas, my sweet girl,” Olivia said as she hugged her tightly. “Did you have any bad dreams last night?”

Miranda shook her head. “ _ Regalos _ .”

“You dreamt of  _ regalos _ ?” 

Miranda grinned and nodded, eliciting a chuckle from Rafael. 

“I feel forgotten about,” he teased, reaching out to tickle Miranda.

“Daddy!” Miranda giggled as she turned to face him. “ _ ¡Abrazo de Navidad! _ ”

“Oh, right.”

Olivia laughed as Miranda moved to hug Rafael tightly and then ask one of her favorite (lead-up) questions. 

“You love me?” 

Rafael pressed a kiss to the top of Miranda’s head. “ _ Sí, mija, te amo _ .”

“Bear Pancakes?”

Before Rafael could answer, he heard Catie begin to fuss. 

“What’s wrong with Catie?” Noah asked from the doorway.

“She’s probably hungry, just like your other sister,” Olivia answered as she got up and walked over to Catie’s crib to pick her up.

Noah climbed into the bed and crawled over to his father. “Dad, will you make pancakes?”

“ _ ¡Abrazo de Navidad! _ ” Miranda exclaimed as she reached for her brother.

“Oof!” Noah laughed as he returned his sister’s hug.

Turning back to Rafael, Miranda gave him her best hopeful look. “Bear pancakes, Daddy?  _ Por favor _ ?”

“Okay, but you need to bring your  _ regalo _ back downstairs.”

Miranda’s face fell. “No.”

“ _ Mija _ , we talked about this.”

“Tree will be sad.”

Noah looked over at his father. “Can I give Miranda something now or do I have to wait?”

Rafael looked confused for a moment before he realized what Noah was talking about. “Sure,  _ mijo _ . Go ahead.”

Noah smiled and then quickly ran back down to his room, returning a short while later with his gift. Climbing back onto the bed, he handed it to Miranda.

“ _ ¡Un regalo! _ ” she exclaimed, smiling when she saw the homemade wrapped “present”. Turning to Noah, she asked. “For my tree?”

Noah nodded. “So you tree doesn’t get sad.  _ Abuelito _ and I made it.”

Miranda hugged him again. “Thank you!”

“Come on,  _ mijos _ , let’s go give the tree it’s new present and take the other one downstairs. Then I’ll start pancakes,” Rafael said as he moved to get out of bed. He looked over at Olivia, who was rocking Catie. “Pancakes for you, too,  _ mi amor _ ?” 

Olivia smiled and nodded as she stood. “Catie wants to see Miranda’s tree. Then I need to make her a bottle.”

* * *

Early that afternoon, as everyone gathered in the living room, Olivia took a seat next to Rafael on the couch. 

“Hey, you okay?” she asked, reaching for his hand and lacing their fingers together.

Rafael nodded, leaning over to press a kiss to her temple. “Just unbelievably grateful.”

Olivia smiled at him. “Me, too. I love you.”

“ _ Te amo, mi alma, para siempre _ .”

“You better,” Olivia teased, her smile growing when Rafael laughed. 

“Daddy, Mommy, presents now?” Miranda asked, crawling up onto the couch between them.

Olivia exchanged a look with Rafael before turning to their daughter. “Did you give everyone their hugs?”

Miranda giggled as she nodded. “Yes, Mommy!”

“I don’t know,” Rafael teased. “I think  _ Tía  _ Isabella might have been skipped.”

“Daddy!” Miranda mock-complained.

Rafael laughed as he stood and lifted her into his arms. “Okay, okay, we can hand out  _ regalos _ now. Will you be  _ mi duendecito _ ?”

“Yes!”

* * *

After the presents had been handed out and opened, Noah crawled up onto the couch beside Olivia and leaned into her side. 

“Are you tired, my sweet boy?” she asked, running a hand over his hair.

Noah nodded. “A little.”

Olivia pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “You can rest here with me for a little while.”

“Where’s Catie?”

“With  _ Abuelito _ . Are you looking forward to our movie tomorrow?”

Noah smiled and nodded. “We’re going to get popcorn, right?”

“Of course. It’s a requirement.”

* * *

“Laura,  _ mija _ , what’s wrong?” Lucia asked as she walked into the kitchen and saw Laura leaning against the counter looking at her phone with a sad look on her face.

Laura sighed. “Did Papi tell you who Elena’s father is?”

Lucia nodded. “Your old boyfriend.”

“Diego. I ran into him last week and when he found out how old Elena is, he put two and two together. He says he’s back in town, that he wants to give us another try, that he wants to be involved in her life.”

“That doesn’t sound like a bad thing to me.”

“Elena and I have been just fine on our own.”

Lucia sighed and ran a hand over the younger woman’s hair. “I thought the same thing before your papi came back into my life. Not exactly the same, I know, but I think I can understand some of what you’re feeling.”

Laura nodded. “Mami, I don’t know what to do.”

Fighting back tears, Lucia pulled the younger woman into a tight hug. It was the first time Laura had called her ‘mami’. Jose and Marisol had been doing it for a while now, but Laura had needed a little more time. “Papi and I are here for you,” she assured. “Whatever you need. We can take Elena so you and Diego can have time to talk. Just tell us what you need.”

Laura nodded again, wiping tears from her eyes. “I’m glad you and Papi worked things out.”

Lucia smiled tearfully. “Me, too.”

“Do you think I can trust Diego?”

“I don’t know him,  _ mija _ . But I  _ do _ think you two should talk. You won’t resolve anything if you don’t.”

Laura sighed. “Do you think you and Papi could take Elena for a while tomorrow afternoon?”

“Of course. We haven’t spoiled her nearly enough lately.”

Seeing her oldest brother walk into the room, Laura smirked as she said. “That’s because you’ve been spoiling  _ Raf _ ’s kids so much.”

Rafael rolled his eyes at her. “Mami and Papi are adults. They can spend their time wherever they want.”

This time it was Laura’s turn to roll her eyes. “Says the one who decided to adopt a child  _ and _ have a biological one within just a few months.”

“Love me! You say!” a new voice cut in.

Turning, all three adults saw Miranda standing in the doorway with tears in her eyes. Rafael immediately walked over to her and picked her up, holding her close. “We  _ do _ love you,  _ corazoncito, _ so much.  _ Tía _ Laura was just joking around.”

“ _ Lo siento, sobrina _ ,” Laura said as she walked over to them. “Your Daddy is right, I was just joking around. We  _ all _ love you very much. You were the best  _ duendecito _ today, and Elena had so much fun playing with you and Julia.”

Miranda laid her head down on Rafael’s shoulder. “Forever Barba.”

Rafael turned his head and pressed a kiss to Miranda’s forehead. “ _ Sí, mi corazoncito,  _ a forever Barba.”

Laura reached out and rubbed a hand up and down Miranda’s back. “Maybe you could come over sometime and play with Elena again?”

Miranda lifted her head to look at her father for an answer. 

“I think we could arrange something,” Rafael answered. 

“Thirsty, Daddy,” Miranda said, remembering why she’d ventured into the kitchen in the first place.

Rafael shifted Miranda to his hip and then walked with her over to the fridge. 

“Two hands,” he said as he handed her a juice box, missing the way Lucia shared a smile with Laura at the sight of them. 

* * *

“Did you have a good Christmas,  _ mijo _ ?” Rafael asked as he tucked Noah into bed later that night. 

Noah nodded. “It was fun. But I also liked it this morning when it was just you, me, Mom, Miranda, and Catie.”

“Me, too.”

“Can we play Lego tomorrow, just the two of us?”

“Sure. After you get home from your movie with Mom, we’ll play Lego for a while.”

“Okay. Night, Dad, love you.”

Rafael bent and pressed a kiss to his son’s head. “I love you, too,  _ mijo _ . _ Dulces sueňos.” _

* * *

Upstairs, Olivia was having a similar conversation with Miranda. 

“How was your first Barba Christmas?” she asked the little girl.

“Good!  _ Muchos abrazos de Navidad _ ,” Miranda replied.

“And bear pancakes for breakfast.”

Miranda smiled and nodded, hugging Lovey and Lumpy close as she closed her eyes. “Love being a Barba.”

Olivia smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to the side of her head. “We love that, too, my sweet girl. Sweet dreams. Remember Mommy, Daddy, Noah, and Catie all love you  _ very _ much.”

* * *

While she waited for Rafael to return from Noah’s room, Olivia checked on Catie. The little girl was still sound asleep in her crib. She smiled when she felt arms wrap around her from behind.

“She’s beautiful _ , mi amor _ .”

“She’s a good baby.”

“All of our kids are good. They’re also all asleep, so I think we should take our cue and do the same.”

Olivia smiled and nodded, turning in his arms and then kissing him softly. “Sounds perfect.”

* * *

After settling in bed with Rafael, Olivia pressed a kiss to his chest. “Merry Christmas, my love.”

“ _ Feliz Navidad, mi amor _ ,” Rafael replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to write this chapter for what seems like forever. I was happy to see Raúl back on SVU as Barba, but was overall kind of disappointed with the episode and super frustrated at the lack of happiness for Olivia/Barson. Hopefully this is a new beginning for them on the show and they can be happy together, but they will always end up that way in my world. 
> 
> Some familiar faces in this chapter and that's all I'm going to say 😂 
> 
> Special thanks to Sandra for being my Spanish helper 😊
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

The morning of her day with Noah, Olivia woke to find the bed empty and noticed Catie was no longer in her crib. Which could only mean that Rafael was entertaining all three kids so she could sleep in. He not only spoiled their children, but her as well. As much as she might protest sometimes, she loved it. Pulling on her robe, she quickly made her way downstairs. 

“Mommy!”

Olivia grinned as Miranda came running over, kneeling so she could hug the little girl tightly. 

“Good morning, my sweet girl,” she greeted. “Did Daddy make you breakfast?”

Miranda nodded. “ _ Abuelita _ brought  _ pastelitos _ .”

“ _ Abuelita  _ was here?”

“Yes.”

“Where are Catie and Noah?” Olivia asked, looking around her daughter and into the living room behind her. 

“Noah in his room. Daddy has Catie,” Miranda answered. “Daddy found Lumpy’s movie.”

Olivia smiled at the mention of one of Miranda’s favorite movies. “Do you finish the movie?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to put a different one on for you?”

Miranda shook her head. “Stay with you.”

Olivia pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Okay, my sweet girl. Mommy’s hungry, so let’s go see if Daddy left me any  _ pastelitos _ , hmm?”

Miranda giggled and nodded. When Olivia stood and reached for her hand, she immediately took it and followed her mother into the kitchen.

* * *

Walking into the kitchen, Olivia saw Rafael preparing a bottle for Catie while she sat impatiently in her swing. 

“Almost done,  _ mi estrellita _ ,” Rafael cooed as he secured the top of the bottle. When he saw Olivia and Miranda, he walked over to press a kiss to each of their cheeks. “ _ Mi amor, mi corazoncito _ .” 

“Did you leave me any  _ pastelitos _ ?” Olivia teased.

Rafael rolled his eyes at her before picking up their younger daughter and beginning to feed her. “Of course I did.”

“We go to the zoo?” Miranda asked her father as she climbed up onto a chair next to him. 

“Today?” Rafael checked.

Miranda nodded. “ _ Por favor _ , Daddy?”

“I thought you wanted to go to the gym with Julia and Jose?”

At the mention of her favorite cousin, Miranda smiled. “Zoo soon?” she asked.

Rafael shared a smile with Olivia before turning back to their older daughter. “ _ Sí, mija _ , we’ll go to the zoo soon.”

“Mommy, Noah, and Catie, too?”

“Yes. We’ll all go together. But no running away from us this time.”

Miranda frowned at him, eliciting a laugh from Olivia. “I just wanted to see  _ los pingüinos _ .”

“I know,  _ corazoncito _ . But it scares Mommy and Daddy when you run away like that.”

“She hasn’t done that in a while,” Olivia reminded him. “She can do plenty of running around at the gym, though.”

“Jumping, too,” Miranda added.

Olivia held out her hand. “How about we go check on Noah and then get you ready for the day?”

Miranda smiled and nodded, hopping off the chair and taking her mother’s hand. Rafael watched them leave before turning back to his youngest child. “Same rules apply to you,  _ estrellita _ . When you get older, no running away from Mommy and Daddy.”

Catie blinked up at him and he smiled at her before leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. 

* * *

“¡ _ Tío _ Jose!” 

Turning at the sound of his niece’s voice, Jose saw his brother holding tightly to the excited little girl’s hand with one hand the handle of Catie’s carseat with his other. Placing a hand on his own daughter’s shoulder, he pointed in their direction. “Look who’s here,  _ amorcito _ .”

Julia turned and grinned at the sight of her favorite cousin. After hugging each other, they ran off to the group of nearby trampolines. 

“It’s really too bad we can’t bottle their energy,” Rafael commented as he took a seat next to his brother.

Jose chuckled. “Especially when they’re together. I think they feed off each other’s energy or something.”

“Papi says the same thing.”

“So, how’s  _ la pequeñita  _ doing today?”

“So far, so good. She’s happy today, I think.”

“Liv and Noah went to a movie?”

“That was the original plan, but Noah found out about a new dinosaur exhibit at the children’s museum and he wanted to go to that instead.”

“Miguel caught wind of that, too. Bella mentioned possibly taking him today.”

“I guess it’s a Barba-Santos get together day.”

Jose chuckled and nodded. “Great minds think alike.”

* * *

As she and Miguel explored the museum, Isabella saw a couple of familiar faces. Tugging on her son’s hand to get his attention, she pointed to two people nearby.

“You think that’s Noah and  _ Tía _ Liv?” she asked. 

Miguel studied them for a moment before he nodded and began to lead his mother over to them.

“Liv?” Isabella asked as they got closer, smiling when the woman turned around and she realized it really was her sister-in-law.

“Rafa mentioned you two might be here,” Olivia said as she hugged first Isabella, then Miguel. “How long have you been here?”

“Not long, maybe fifteen minutes. What about you?”

Olivia looked at her watch. “Maybe twenty?”

“Can Miguel and  _ Tía _ Isabella come with us?” Noah asked his mother. 

“I don’t see why not, if that’s okay with them.”

“Can we, Mami?” Miguel asked Isabella.

Isabella shared a smile with Olivia before turning back to her son. “Of course.”

* * *

“So Raf has both girls today?” Isabella checked as she and Olivia watched their boys explore the exhibits.

Olivia smiled and nodded. “Yes. He took Miranda to the gym to play with Julia. She loves it there. We signed her up for a gymnastics class. It’s more tumbling than actual gymnastics at this point, but we’re hoping she enjoys it.”

“She certainly has the energy for it.”

Olivia laughed. “Yes, she does.”

“I still can’t believe you and Raf decided to adopt  _ and _ have a baby of your own at the same time.”

“Well, Miranda found us first and then I found out I was pregnant. We knew right away that Miranda was meant to be ours and couldn’t imagine sending her back, so we did what we had to to make it work.”

“That simple?”

Olivia smiled. “Essentially. One of my biggest concerns when I found out that I was pregnant was being able to keep Miranda. But Rafael agreed that she belonged with us, so we moved forward with the adoption. I can’t imagine my life without her. Without any of my kids or Rafael.”

“You and Raf met at work?”

“Yes. We still work together, although I don’t go back for another month. But I was just a detective when we met. We had a temporary captain and Rafa had just applied for a lateral transfer from Brooklyn to Manhattan. One of my coworkers and I went with the captain to meet Rafa after arraignment court one day. I’ll never forget the first thing he said as he walked over.”

Seeing Olivia’s wide smile at the memory, Isabella was intrigued. “Oh, now you  _ have _ to tell me what he said.”

Olivia laughed. “He said ‘Captain, take your daughters to work day?’”

“He didn’t,” Isabella replied, joining in Olivia’s laughter.

“He did.”

“So you two have worked together ever since?”

“Yes. Now I’m a lieutenant and he’s an executive ADA.”

“And you’re married with three kids.”

Olivia smiled and nodded. “I wouldn’t change a thing. Except maybe meeting him earlier in my life. But I love the life we’ve built together. We still butt heads sometimes, especially at work, but he truly is my partner in all things.”

* * *

As she and Julia stopped and looked around in order to decide what to play on next, Miranda saw a face she had mixed feelings about. At the moment, it just made her want her father. 

“Miranda?” Julia asked, confused when her cousin just froze instead of immediately choosing a new activity. 

“Want Daddy,” Miranda said, making a beeline for her father. 

Concerned, Julia followed closely after her cousin. 

* * *

“Daddy,” Miranda cried as she got close enough for Rafael to hear her. 

“ _ Corazoncito _ , what’s wrong?” Rafael asked, pulling her onto his lap and holding her close. 

“Did something happen on the playground?” Jose asked Julia.

“No. She just stopped and then said she wanted  _ Tío  _ Rafa,” she answered.

“We go home now?” Miranda asked her father. 

“I thought you were having fun?” Rafael checked.

“Want to go home now. She can’t have me.”

Rafael shared a confused look with his brother before turning back to his older daughter. “ _ Who _ can’t have you?”

“Farrah. She takes me away.”

Rafael looked around and spotted the woman in question, who had also spotted them and was on her way over. 

“ _ Te amo, mi corazoncito _ ,” Rafael whispered as he hugged her tightly. “Farrah isn’t here to take you away. I promise.”

Miranda nodded, but didn’t move off of his lap, simply rested her head against his chest. 

“Hello, Rafael. Hello, Miranda,” Farrah greeted as she approached. 

“Hello,” Rafael greeted. When Miranda stayed silent, he looked down at her. “ _ Mija _ , can you say hello?”

“Hello,” Miranda said softly. 

Farrah smiled at them. “It’s good to see you both again. I was happy to hear that you and Olivia decided to adopt Miss Miranda here.”

Feeling slightly more confident that Farrah wasn’t here to take her away, Miranda spoke up again. “I’m a Barba now.”

“So I heard. Have you mastered the shapes cube yet?”

Miranda smiled a little and nodded. “New shapes game now.”

“She got a new game for Christmas,” Rafael elaborated. 

“I always knew she was smart,” Farrah said. 

“I have a sister now,” Miranda told her. “She’s still little.”

“Really?”

Miranda nodded, pointing to where Catie sat in her carseat. “ _ Ella es un estrellito _ .”

Rafael pressed a kiss to the side of Miranda’s head before turning to Farrah. “Her name is Catie. But we call her our  _ estrellita _ . Miranda is our  _ corazoncito _ ...”

“Noah  _ es un tiburoncito _ ,” Miranda finished.

Farrah smiled and nodded. She was genuinely happy that Miranda had found a family to love her the way she deserved. Turning back to Rafael, she said, “I need to go, my son is waiting for me, but I saw Miranda and wanted to come over and say hello. I’m glad she’s settled in and happy.”

“Forever family,” Miranda told her before pointing at Jose and Julia. “More family.”

“My brother, Jose, and his daughter, Julia,” Rafael explained. “Jose, Julia, this is Farrah, she is in charge of the orphanage where Miranda was living before we met her.”

“I’m the one she ran away from when she ran into Olivia,” Farrah added. 

Jose smiled and nodded, he remembered Rafael telling the story of how Miranda came into his and Olivia’s life. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said before turning back to Rafael. “Please tell Olivia I said hello.”

“I will,” Rafael promised, watching Farrah walk away before turning back to his daughter. “Do you still want to go home or do you want to play some more?”

“Home,” Miranda answered. 

“I took Friday off next week since Julia’s daycare is closed that day,” Jose began. “Maybe Miranda would like to come over to our house that day?”

“What do you think,  _ mija _ ?” Rafael asked Miranda.

“Yes,” Miranda answered with a bright smile. 

Rafael turned back to his brother. “I could drop her off on my way into the office that day, if that works for you?”

“Sure. If something changes, just let me know. I can swing by and get her.”

* * *

When they arrived home, Rafael went to make a bottle for Catie while Miranda went upstairs to her room. She returned a few minutes later with Lovey and Lumpy in her arms. 

“Do you want me to find you a movie?” Rafael asked as he began to feed Catie.

“We all watch together?”

“You, me, and Catie?”

Miranda nodded. 

“Sure. Can you get everything ready?”

Miranda nodded again. “Blankets, too?”

“Blankets, too.”

“Okay,” Miranda said before running off in the direction of the living room, leaving Rafael chuckling in her wake. 

“I think your sister is excited to watch a movie with us,” he said to Catie. “Although I’ll be surprised if any of us make it through the whole thing before falling asleep.”

* * *

After selecting a movie and settling on the makeshift bed in front of the couch with Miranda, Rafael was about to press  _ play _ when Catie began to fuss. 

“Shh,  _ mi estrellita _ , it’s okay,” he said as he picked her up and held her close, smiling to himself when she calmed in just a few moments. His smile faded when he tried to put her back in her swing and she began to fuss again. 

“She wants to cuddle,” Miranda explained. 

“I guess so,” Rafael agreed, carefully settling back down on the makeshift bed and holding Catie close against his chest. A few minutes after the movie began, he felt Miranda shift closer to his other side and he moved to wrap an arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. Within a few minutes, all three of them were asleep. 

* * *

Walking into the living room after arriving home with Noah, Olivia smiled when she saw Rafael asleep with both of their daughters held close to him. Catie was lying on his chest, Rafael’s hand on her back to keep her in place, and Miranda was curled into his side. Taking out her phone, she quickly snapped a picture and sent it to her mother-in-law before going to find Noah and make sure he didn’t wake any of them up.

* * *

“Daddy, wake up.”

Rafael opened his eyes and blinked his older daughter’s face into focus. “Are you okay?”

Miranda tilted her head. “Happy here,” she answered.

Rafael smiled and ran a hand over her hair. “Good. Do you need anything?”

“Movie is over.”

“You want me to restart it?”

Miranda shook her head. “Mommy home yet?”

“I’m not sure. Let me put Catie in her crib and then we can go look,” Rafael answered as he carefully stood. 

* * *

Miranda watched her father put her sister in her crib and then stood to take his hand as they went in search of her mother. They found her in the home office, curled up on the couch while she read a book. 

“ _ Mi amor _ , why are you in  _ here _ ?” Rafael asked.

“Mommy!” Miranda said excitedly, climbing onto the couch and over to her mother. 

“Hi, sweetheart,” Olivia replied, hugging her close. “Did you have fun with Daddy today?”

Miranda nodded, but remained cuddled close. 

“Did something happen?” Olivia asked as Rafael took a seat next to them. “And I’m in here because I wanted to be close to Noah in case he needed something but didn’t want to disturb you, Miranda, or Catie.”

“We ran into Farrah at the gym,” Rafael explained. 

Olivia pressed a kiss to the top of Miranda’s head and hugged her close. “Farrah isn’t going to take you away from us.”

“Told her I’m a Barba now,” Miranda replied.

“That’s right.”

“Going to see Julia again soon.”

Olivia looked up at Rafael with a confused expression. He chuckled and ran a hand over Miranda’s hair as he explained. “Julia’s daycare is closed next Friday, so Jose took the day off. He offered to have Miranda over for a playdate with Julia.”

“That sounds like fun,” Olivia said, running a hand up and down Miranda’s back as the little girl continued to stay cuddled close to her and then turned to her husband. “Why don’t you go get Noah and we can show you both the pictures from the museum?”

Rafael smiled and nodded, then stood and began to make his way to their son’s room.

* * *

“Are you feeling any better about me going back to work next week?” Rafael asked later that night as he watched Olivia rock Catie.

“A little,” Olivia replied. “It’s not so much taking care of the kids that I’m worried about. It’s... _ everything else _ .”

“Like what?”

“Groceries, laundry, making sure we aren’t just feeding the kids microwavable meals every night.”

“Not all of that is on you,  _ mi amor _ .”

“I know...but Lucy has been helping me for the last few months and now that she’s paying rent all on her own, she mentioned she might need to find another family to work for in addition to ours.”

“We could hire her full time,” Rafael suggested. “We can afford it. Then she can be here to help with whatever you need.”

“A full-time nanny  _ and _ daycare?”

Rafael shrugged. “So we take Miranda out of daycare and hire Lucy full time. Mami and Lucy could come up with some educational things for her to do and we can schedule playdates for her so she still gets to play with kids her own age. As Catie gets older, we can do the same things for her. It would be easier for the kids  _ not _ to be in daycare when you go back to work, too.”

Olivia nodded, glad he was on board with what she had been contemplating herself. “Okay. Let’s talk to Lucy tomorrow?”

“We could invite her over for lunch? Then she can see the kids for a little while, too.”

“Yes. Could you text her? I don’t want to move Catie yet.”

Rafael nodded, taking out his phone and sending a text to Lucy. She quickly replied that she would be there and looked forward to seeing them all. 

* * *

The next day, once they had settled the kids in the living room, Rafael and Olivia led Lucy into the kitchen. 

“Is everything okay?” Lucy asked. “You mentioned you wanted to talk to me about the kids?”

Olivia reached over and took Rafael’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “Rafael and I have been thinking about what would be best for the kids considering our sometimes hectic work schedules. We would like to take Miranda out of daycare and hire you full-time instead. I could still use some help around the house as well.”

“We were also hoping you could help us to provide some of the same educational content that daycare normally would. I’m sure my mom would be happy to help, but we wanted to talk to you about everything first,” Rafael added.

“I’d love to,” Lucy immediately replied. “I’d like to finish getting settled in my new apartment, though. My parents are coming over tomorrow to help me with some things.”

“That’s fine. Rafael doesn’t go back to work until after the first of the year,” Olivia told her. “We appreciate all of your help.”

“Family, right?”

Olivia smiled and nodded. “Family.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been unsure about posting this chapter, but TeaGirl14 and some other Twitter friends convinced me to. Mostly Barson. Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Small disclaimer: I've never actually purchased my own vehicle (mine have always been hand me downs or chosen for me), so my apologies for any inaccuracies 😂
> 
> Special thanks to joyfulmariskahgt for being the beta for/helping with me with ideas for this chapter.

* * *

The Friday before Rafael was to return to work, Olivia dug through her closet as she tried to find something to wear to brunch. Lucia and Javier had picked up all three kids a short while before, insisting on taking them overnight so she and Rafael could have some time for themselves. They had decided on brunch at their favorite cafe and then to go car shopping after that. Having three kids in carseats had made it difficult to go anywhere as a family as neither of their cars fit all three of the kids comfortably. 

“Livia, _mi amor_ , are you ready to go?” Rafael asked as he entered their bedroom. 

“No,” Olivia answered with a frustrated sigh. “I can’t find anything to wear. Nothing _fits right_ anymore.”

Rafael walked over to his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to her cheek. “What about those black pants and that green top you love so much?”

Olivia frowned. “Catie spit up on that one yesterday. It’s in the wash.”

“What about this one?” Rafael asked, reaching into the closet and pulling out a light blue maternity top he’d seen her wear multiple times while she was pregnant.

“I’m not pregnant anymore, Rafa!” 

Sighing, Rafael put the blue top back and looked through the other ones she had. Pulling out a black t-shirt, he turned back to her. “What about this one with that sweater Mami gave you?”

Olivia tilted her head as she contemplated the outfit. Lucia had gotten her a slightly oversized dark green sweater the week before, claiming she had seen it while out shopping with Marisol and knew it would be perfect for her. The woman wasn’t wrong, it was one of the most comfortable things she owned. 

“You just want me to wear that sweater so we match,” Olivia teased as she took the t-shirt from him.

Rafael chuckled as he shrugged. He was happy to go along with that thought if it kept her smiling. He also made a mental note to ask his mother if that sweater came in any other colors. Both he and Olivia owned several different pieces of clothing in multiple colors, and Olivia often stuck with the brands she knew she liked when shopping. He was broken out of his thoughts by Olivia’s voice.

“Rafa, have you _seen_ said sweater?”

* * *

Walking into the restaurant, Olivia immediately started to feel self-conscious. As she and Rafael were shown to a table, she could see the women’s looming gazes darting between Rafael and herself. She could read into their bemused glances-‘what in the world is someone as attractive as _him_ doing with someone like _her_?’

 _‘I should have at least put on some makeup’_ she thought to herself as she sat opposite her husband. 

“Liv? What do you want to drink?” she heard him ask, pulling her out of her thoughts. 

“Ice water is fine, thank you,” she told the waiter, ignoring the confused look Rafael was sending her way. 

“You okay?” Rafael asked once the waiter had left them alone.

Olivia gave him the best smile she could muster. “I’m fine, Rafa. I guess I’m still a little sleepy.”

“Are you sure you don’t want coffee?”

“I’m sure. If I change my mind, I’ll just get you to share yours with me.”

Rafael chuckled. “I don’t usually share my coffee.”

“You’ve shared your coffee with me before.”

“That’s why I said ‘ _usually’_.”

Olivia laughed, but was stopped from saying anything by their waiter returning with their drinks. 

* * *

After brunch, and a quick call to Lucia to check on the kids, Rafael and Olivia went to a nearby car dealership to begin their search for a new vehicle. When they walked inside, one of the vehicles on the showfloor caught Olivia’s eye. 

“Hello,” a female voice greeted. 

Olivia turned her attention from the vehicle to the woman who had greeted them, taking in her appearance as Rafael told her the reason for their visit. The woman was slightly shorter than her, with a slim figure, strawberry blonde hair, and light blue eyes. She wasn’t skinny, but she was certainly thinner than Olivia herself had been in a while...and she was looking adoringly at Rafael. 

“Liv?”

Olivia shook her head to clear her thoughts, plastering on a smile as she turned to her husband and the saleswoman. “Sorry, lost in my thoughts.”

“It’s okay,” the woman insisted as she held out her hand with a smile Olivia found to be a little _too_ bright. “My name is Whitney, and I was just telling Rafael that we have plenty of options for what you two are looking for.” 

Olivia blinked, trying to figure out if it was all in her head or if Whitney’s eyes lingered a bit _too long_ on her appearance? Was the bold saleswoman making eyes at _her_ husband while she stood _right here_?

Olivia forced herself to return the younger woman’s smile as she shook her hand. “Olivia. Nice to meet you.”

“Which one were you looking at when we walked in?” Rafael asked. 

Olivia pointed to a nearby blue SUV. “That one.” She answered curtly. 

“How many children do you have?” Whitney asked as she led them over to the vehicle.

“Three. They’re six, three, and three weeks.” Rafael answered quickly. “Our oldest is in a booster seat now, but the younger two are still in carseats. We want to be able to fit them all comfortably in a single row.”

Whitney nodded. “Well, this particular vehicle has captain’s chairs in the middle, so that wouldn’t work for you, but this model also comes with a bench seat that _would_ work.”

“Do you have any of _those_ we could see?” Olivia asked.

“Yes. Would you like to take a look at this one first, though?” Whitney asked her.

Olivia narrowed her eyes slightly at the younger woman, whose eyes she was convinced remained on _Rafael_ even though she had been speaking to _her_ . “No. If it’s not going to work, I’d rather just move on and look at something that _will_.”

Rafael frowned a little at her tone, but said nothing, simply took her hand and laced their fingers together as they followed Whitney outside. 

* * *

After Olivia had rejected the first five vehicles that Whitney had shown them, Rafael was beginning to wonder if he should ask for a minute alone with his wife. He could tell she was starting to get upset but didn’t want to stick his foot in his mouth by saying the wrong thing. 

“Liv,” he said softly, squeezing her hand to get her attention.

Olivia turned her head towards him and he could see the tears forming in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just really wanted to find something today,” she said as she stepped closer.

Rafael squeezed her hand again. “Okay, let’s start with the _color_ you like.”

Olivia nodded, taking a moment to gain her composure before she answered. “I liked the blue of the first one.”

“The one on the showfloor?” Whitney asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay, we can work with that. Any of the vehicles I showed you would fit all three carseats, but is there any feature _you_ particularly like?” 

Olivia bit back the snarky retort on the tip of her tongue-this woman really had some nerve to take such a condescending tone with her. She almost scoffed, but refocused her attention on her husband instead. 

“I _did_ like the heated seats in the third one,” she confessed.

“I _knew_ it,” Rafael insisted, eliciting laughter from both Olivia and Whitney, whom the former thought laughed a little too hard and a little too long.

“Let’s go back to the third one so I can get some more information and see where we can go from there. Does that sound okay?” Whitney suggested.

Olivia looked over at Rafael, who, following his line of sight, was still looking at the vehicle, before turning back to Whitney. “Sure.”

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Olivia and Rafael were finally headed home. Whitney had found the vehicle that Olivia liked best in a shade of blue that she was happy with, but it was at another lot owned by the same company. She said she could have it there the next day and arranged a time for them to come back to test drive it. Although they had made a lot of progress in finding the right vehicle for their family, Rafael could tell something was still bothering Olivia. He chose to wait until they were home to bring it up. 

“You were kind of snippy with Whitney,” he said as they walked into the living room. 

Olivia turned and frowned at him. “Well maybe if _Whitney_ hadn’t been _flirting_ with you the entire time, I would have been nicer!” she snapped.

This time it was Rafael’s turn to frown. “What the hell are you talking about? She was just being _friendly_ , Olivia.”

“No, _Rafael_ , she was _flirting_ . I saw it with _my own two eyes_.”

Rafael sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to think of what he should say. 

“You’re not denying it,” Olivia insisted a moment later.

“Olivia-” he began, stepping forward and reaching out for her hand. 

Olivia pulled her hand back sharply as she regarded him with tearful eyes. “I _saw it_ , Rafael! How do you think that makes _me_ feel? She’s pretty. Probably doesn’t spend most of her time sitting around the house in yoga pants and t-shirts with spit up all over them.”

“Liv, you just had a baby three weeks ago!” Rafael insisted. 

“Exactly!”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“It _means_ she looks a lot more attractive to you than _I_ do!” 

Rafael sent her a look that was a mixture of confusion and hurt. “That’s not true and you know it,” he said as he turned to walk away. “I’m going to look over the cases McCoy sent me. Come find me when you’ve regained your senses.”

Olivia felt tears run down her face as she watched him walk away. “Stupid hormones,” she muttered as she quickly made her way to her and Rafael’s bedroom. 

* * *

Laying down in the bed, Olivia reached for Rafael’s pillow, holding it tightly to her chest as she continued to cry. She hadn’t meant to sound jealous, she was simply insecure. She knew it was ridiculous to expect her body to automatically go back to the way it was pre-pregnancy, especially so soon after giving birth, but it didn’t stop her traitorous brain from planting doubts about her appearance. She _knew_ Rafael had never even _considered_ anyone else in _years_ . Even during her brief relationship with Ed Tucker, she had been thinking about Rafael. She had long ago accepted that there was no one else for her. She _knew_ it was the same for him, but lately, the hormones had only been amplifying her feelings of self-doubt. Feeling exhausted, she closed her eyes and let sleep claim her. 

* * *

After being unable to concentrate on the case he’d looked at three times already, Rafael tossed the file on his desk and went in search of his wife. When she wasn’t in the living room, he went upstairs to their room and found her asleep in their bed. Carefully sliding under the covers, he propped his head on one hand as he reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear. 

“You’re a very beautiful pillow thief, Olivia Barba,” he said softly before leaning over to press a kiss to her temple. 

“You’re a very loud napping partner,” Olivia countered with a small smile, eliciting a chuckle from Rafael.

“ _Lo siento, mi amor_.”

Olivia opened her eyes and looked at him. “For calling me a thief?”

Rafael chuckled again. “No, you _are_ a thief. You stole my pillow _and_ my heart.”

“Rafa, you can’t say things like that to me when I’m trying to be mad at you.”

“I don’t want to fight with you, Livia.”

“Are you willing to make a deal, counselor?”

Rafael raised an eyebrow at her. “I’ll consider it. What are you suggesting?”

“You can have your pillow back if I can use _you_ as my pillow instead.”

Rafael pretended to contemplate her suggestion before he smiled and lightly tugged on his pillow. “Come here, _mi alma_.”

After handing over the pillow and waiting for Rafael to get comfortable, Olivia scooted over and rested her head on his shoulder, laying her arm over his stomach as he wrapped his around her waist.

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked a few moments later. 

Olivia sighed. “I’m just feeling...insecure.”

“About what?”

“My body. I don’t feel very beautiful right now.”

Rafael tipped her face up and gave her a soft kiss. “You will _always_ be beautiful to me, Livia. You carried _our child_ for nine months and gave birth to her only three weeks ago.”

Olivia sighed. “I know. But then I look at women like Whitney and I just...get jealous. I want to look beautiful for you, Rafa.”

“You do,” Rafael insisted. “You don’t need to be all dressed up for me to think you look beautiful. I won’t lie and say I don’t enjoy seeing you that way, but it’s not _necessary_ , _mi vida_. In fact, I think I like casual Livia better.”

Olivia laughed. “Yoga pants and t-shirts with spit up on them?”

Rafael chuckled, leaning over to kiss her before he spoke again. “We’ll have to have a talk with our daughter about the spit-up thing, but yes. Knowing you’re comfortable enough to let your guard completely down, that only heightens your beauty.”

“Flaterer.”

“You love me for it.”

Olivia smiled. “That I do. Feel free to continue.”

Rafael kissed her again. “I only want _you_ , okay? I told you-I don’t want this life with anyone else. _Mi alma gemela_.”

“I’m sorry, Rafa. I believe you, I do, but I still feel really insecure about my body.”

“I wish I knew how to help you more. You know you can always talk to my mom or any of my sisters...even Amanda...about this stuff? They all love you.”

Olivia smiled at him. “I know. I love you for thinking of that...and for wanting to help. I’m always open to compliments, though, you know.”

Rafael laughed as he leaned in to kiss her again. “Is that so?”

“Mm. Maybe save them for _after_ our nap, though.”

“Who said I was taking a nap with you?”

“I did. We never get to nap together anymore. We hardly get to _sleep_ together right now. I just want you to hold me while we _sleep_ . The kids are in good hands with your parents, probably getting spoiled rotten, and we can both _relax_.”

Rafael tightened his arm around her as she laid her head back down on his shoulder. “You have the best ideas,” he said sleepily.

Olivia smiled. “So you keep telling me.”

* * *

When she woke up, Olivia smiled when she noticed Rafael was still in the bed with her. As he had a file in his hand, and she could see others on his bedside table, he must have gone down to the office at some point. Sitting up, she leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling when he turned his head to press a kiss to her forehead. 

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Yes. Did _you_ get some sleep?”

“I did. You were still sleeping when I woke up and I didn’t want to disturb you. I thought the TV might, so I went to our office and got the case files. I didn’t want you to be upset if you woke and I wasn’t here. Besides, the bed is _much_ more comfortable than my office chair.”

Olivia chuckled softly as her eyes scanned the file in his hands. “Is that an SVU case?” 

“No. It’s a homicide case that was reopened because new evidence was found. McCoy wanted me to look at it because he suspects the original prosecutor and his team may not have done their due diligence.”

“Well, Fin said that Amanda is now on modified desk duty, so if you need some extra help with anything, I’m sure she’d be more than happy to look into some things.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I just want to finish looking over this and then we can watch a movie or something, okay?”

Olivia lifted her head and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Go ahead. Maybe once you’re finished, we could take a bath together?”

“Sounds perfect.”

* * *

The next morning, when she and Rafael returned to the dealership, Olivia noticed Whitney was nowhere to be found. When they were told that Whitney wasn’t going to be in that day, Olivia had to take a deep breath in order to keep calm.

“We had an appointment with her this morning, she was going to have a vehicle brought in from another lot,” Rafael explained to the receptionist. 

“Let me get one of our sales managers, maybe she left instructions with them,” the young lady said calmly before walking into a nearby office. 

* * *

When the receptionist returned, she had another woman with her. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Barba?” the older woman asked, gaining their attention.

“Yes,” Olivia answered, holding tightly to Rafael’s hand. 

“I’m Caroline, one of the sales managers here. I understand there was a bit of a mix up regarding your appointment with Whitney. It looks like you were interested in an SUV in black and with captain's chairs, is that correct?"

Olivia tightened her grip on Rafael's hand as she attempted to keep calm. She was so mad she could scream.

"No," she heard Rafael answer smoothly. "We have three small children and need to fit all of their car seats comfortably in one row."

“I apologize,” Caroline began, “Would you mind telling me what it _is_ you’re looking for then?”

Olivia watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. She hadn’t thought it was possible for someone to be _worse_ than Whitney, but Caroline most certainly was. She had stepped _very close_ to Rafael and was speaking only to him. She was tempted to go to another dealership, but she just wanted to get this experience over with so they could go pick up the kids. 

Seeing the way that Caroline was clearly ignoring Olivia and completely focusing on him, while pretending to play dumb and bat her eyes at him, as if he found that attractive, Rafael had had enough. He was tired of his wife being disrespected, especially considering they were purchasing this vehicle _together_ . They would _both_ be driving it at one point or another, although it would be primarily Olivia’s vehicle while she was still on maternity leave.

“I’m actually going to defer to my wife on this,” he said, stepping closer to Olivia. “She’s the one who will be primarily driving this vehicle, so I’m more than happy to go along with whatever _she_ wants.”

“Of course,” Caroline replied, clearly slightly flustered by Rafael’s answer. “Let me just find another sales associate to help you.”

* * *

While they waited for their new sales associate, Rafael tilted his head to catch Olivia’s eyes. 

“Liv?” he asked softly.

“Maybe we should just go,” Olivia said a little sadly. “Although, as we were walking in, I saw another car I wanted to look at.”

“I meant what I said about deferring to you, _mi amor_ . This will primarily be _your_ car, and the one we’ll use when we want to go places as a family. It’s important that _you_ like it.”

“You should have some input, too, Rafa.”

“All you have to do is ask. The most important things to me are that it fits all three car seats, that it’s reliable, and that _you_ feel comfortable driving it.”

Olivia nodded and squeezed the hand of his that she still held. 

* * *

“Olivia? Rafael?” a new voice asked as she approached.

“Yes,” Olivia answered, keeping a tight hold on Rafael’s hand.

“My name is Natalia, I’ll be helping you out today. I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t had a very good experience here so far.”

Olivia already liked this woman better than the previous two. She looked to be slightly older than Whitney, with dark brown hair and green eyes that reminded her slightly of Rafael’s. 

“We have three young children-one is in a booster seat and the other two are still in car seats, so we’re looking for something that would accommodate them all in one row.”

“Of course. I understand that Whitney’s notes were incorrect, so I’m afraid I’m not sure what other features you’re looking for.”

Olivia looked over at Rafael, who simply nodded at her similar to the way he would in court. She smiled at him before turning back to Natalia. “There was actually one outside that I was hoping we could look at? I’m not sure if it has the features we’re looking for, but I liked how it looked on the outside.”

Natalia smiled and nodded. “Let’s go take a look, then. If nothing else, it will give us a starting point.”

* * *

When they arrived at the vehicle that had caught Olivia’s eye, Natalia checked some information on the tag in the windshield before turning back to them. “I’m just going to go get the keys and the vehicle information for you. I have some others I think you might be interested in as well, is it okay if we look at those as well?”

Olivia smiled and nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Perfect. I’ll be right back.”

* * *

“So, unfortunately, this one wouldn’t work for your needs,” Natalia began as she returned. “But I’d still like you to have a look at it and let me know if there are any features you like. We have others that are similar to this one that I think _would_ work.”

“Just my luck,” Olivia muttered as Natalia unlocked the car. 

“Noah and Miranda would like these screens,” Rafael said to her as they looked over the vehicle.

Olivia smiled and nodded. “They would,” she agreed. Turning to Natalia, she asked, “Do you hook up a tablet or is there a built-in DVD player?”

“It has a DVD player, but you can also hook up your tablet or iPad. How close in age are your children?”

“The two oldest are about three and a half years apart, and our youngest is only three weeks old.”

“Mine are two years apart and they each have to have their own things or my husband and I never hear the end of it,” Natalia revealed. “We actually own this vehicle in a different color, and the screens are a big hit.”

“I like the sunroof, too,” Olivia replied. “It would be nice for the summertime. You said you had something similar to this that would work for us?”

“Yes. It’s just in the next row.”

* * *

When they arrived at the second vehicle, Natalia unlocked it so they could look inside. 

“This one would work for all three car seats and has the DVD player built-in, but doesn’t have the sunroof. However, it _does_ have heated front seats.”

“I think I’d rather have that,” Olivia commented absently as she looked over the vehicle. 

“Does the third row fold down?” Rafael asked Natalia. 

“Yes. It folds flat to give you more room in the cargo area.”

“Liv?” Rafael said in an effort to get his wife’s attention. “What do you think?”

“I like it a lot,” Olivia answered, reaching for his hand again as she joined him and Natalia on the other side of the vehicle. “I like the dark interior color, too.”

“Do you want to keep looking or stop with this one?” Natalia asked. 

“I’d like to see the others. We can come back to this one, right?”

Natalia nodded. “Yes, of course.”

* * *

After looking at the other vehicles Natalia had selected, Olivia couldn’t help but think back to the second one. The others were nice, and all but the first one would suit their needs, but she didn’t like any of them as much. Turning to Rafael, she looked at him hopefully.

“We can afford that second one, right?”

Rafael chuckled as he squeezed her hand. “We can. Even without the trade-in, we’d be able to.”

“Good, because that’s the one I want.”

“Then let’s go back inside so you can finish your purchase,” Natalia suggested with a smile. “I just need a few minutes to gather everything.”

* * *

“Before I take you to see our finance manager, I wanted to let you know that I talked to our used car manager and he was able to offer you a lower price than what we had advertised,” Natalia said as she returned with their paperwork. 

“Thank you,” Olivia replied with a smile. “We appreciate that.”

“I’m sorry you had a terrible start to your experience here, but I’m glad we were ultimately able to find something for you.”

“Are the kids okay staying with your parents for a little while longer?” Olivia asked her husband.

Rafael nodded. “Mami said Noah and Miranda are playing a game with Papi, and Catie had just been fed so she would likely be asleep soon.”

“Let’s get this finished now, then.”

“I’ll let Mami know,” Rafael agreed, taking out his phone to text his mother. 

* * *

“So, what order do you want these in?” Rafael asked Olivia as he nodded towards the three car seats currently sitting outside their new vehicle.

“I think we should put Noah behind the driver’s seat, Catie in the middle, and Miranda behind the passenger’s seat,” Olivia answered. 

Rafael nodded, picking up Noah’s booster seat and walking around to the driver’s side to install it while Olivia went to the passenger’s side to install Catie’s car seat. When she reached for Miranda’s car seat, he placed a hand over hers. 

“Go adjust your seat, _mi amor_. I’ll get Miranda’s seat installed,” he said.

Olivia smiled and nodded, giving him a quick kiss before doing as he suggested.

* * *

“Mami, Papi,” Rafael called as he and Olivia walked into their house. 

“Rafi, Livy,” Javier greeted. “Were you able to get your new car?”

“We were. How have the kids been?”

“Good. Catie is napping and Noah is helping your mami in the kitchen. I was about to put Miranda down for a nap as well.”

“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll join her for that nap,” Olivia said. 

“Of course not, _mija_ ,” Javier replied with a smile. “Rafi, why don’t you make sure Livy and our _corazoncito_ have everything they need and then meet the rest of us in the kitchen?”

Rafael smiled and nodded, waiting until his father was out of the room before pulling Olivia into his arms. 

“You okay?” he asked softly.

Olivia smiled, leaning in to kiss him. “Just tired. I enjoyed our alone time, but I missed the kids, too.”

Rafael kissed her again before taking her hand and leading her down the hall to the room Miranda used while she was there. “Come on, _mi amor_ , let’s get you and Miranda settled. I need an update on Lovey and Lumpy, too.”

Olivia laughed as she followed him. “Have they been spending too much time with Eddie?”

“They _did_ visit him for a while just the other day. We have to make sure they won’t be a bad influence on our _corazoncito_.”

* * *

“Mommy, Daddy,” Miranda said happily as she saw her parents enter the room. 

“Is it okay if Mommy naps with you today?” Olivia asked as she approached the bed. “Daddy said he would tuck us both in.”

Miranda smiled and nodded, scooting over so her mother could lay in the bed beside her. 

“You look tired, _mi corazoncito_ ,” Rafael noted as he knelt next to the bed and ran a hand over her hair. “Did you have a bad dream again?”

Miranda shook her head. “Missed you and Mommy.”

“Well, we’re here now. You and Mommy can nap here and then we’ll have supper with _Abuelita_ and _Abuelito_.”

“Then home?” 

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Yes. Then home.”

“¿ _Abrazo_?”

“Of course,” Rafael answered as he reached over to hug her. He stayed with her and Olivia until he was sure they were both asleep. As he was leaving the room, he turned to look at them once more. “ _Te amo, mis amores_.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to get this written for what seems like forever, but real life has been a little crazy and that hasn't left much time for writing. 
> 
> I realize that bailiff positions aren't really filled the way it's implied in the story, but by the time I realized that, I had already written that part so I just left it. It's fiction, right? lol :)
> 
> I've also been considering writing a companion piece to this that would be more Rollisi focused (as I'm trying to keep this one Barson focused) but haven't decided one way or the other yet.
> 
> Special thanks to Sandra for being my Spanish translator and to ThatEsqCrush for letting me pick her brain with NYC questions :)
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

When he walked into his office on his first day back since Catie was born, Rafael smiled a little to himself when he saw his new nameplate, which read E.A.D.A. Rafael Barba, and then when he saw a medium-sized gift bag on his desk. 

Setting his briefcase down on his chair, he noticed there was a small box alongside the gift bag. Reaching for the tag on the gift bag, he saw it was from Carmen and Jack, along with some others at the DA’s office. Inside was a weighted blanket, sleep mask, heated slippers, onesides, burping cloths, baby socks, and pacifiers, along with some chocolates from Olivia’s favorite chocolatier. Smiling, he put the bag by his coat so he would remember to bring it home. 

When he returned to his desk, he reached for the small box. After carefully unwrapping it, he opened it to reveal a picture that Carisi had taken a few days after Catie was born. Noah and Miranda sat between him and Olivia, who was holding Catie in her arms. There hadn’t been a tag on the box, but he knew this was from Olivia. It was the same picture he had on his desk at home. Smiling, he set the picture on his desk and then reached for his briefcase so he could prepare for his meeting with Jack.

* * *

As he was packing up for the day, Rafael was surprised to see Eddie’s name pop up on his cell phone screen. 

“ _ Hola _ , Eddie,” He greeted. 

“ _ Hola,  _ Rafi,” Eddie replied. “ _ Necesito un favor _ .”

“ _ Claro que sí _ .  _ ¿Qué necesitas _ ?”

“ _ Tengo una entrevista de trabajo en  _ Albany  _ el viernes. ¿Podrías recoger a  _ Mateo  _ de la escuela y quedar contigo hasta que vuelva el sábado por la tarde? Mi mamá está fuera de la ciudad visitando una amiga y no tengo con quien dejarlo. _ ”

“ _ Sí, perfecto no hay problema, lo que necesitas. ¿Para que es tu entrevista de trabajo? _ ”

“ _ Como alguacil en el  _ courthouse  _ de Albany. Necesito un trabajo nuevo con mejores horarios. _ ”

“ _ Sí _ ,  _ sí _ ,  _ sí _ ,  _ te entiendo perfectamente. Me mandas los detalles _ .”

“ _ Gracias,  _ Rafi.”

* * *

“Daddy!”

Rafael barely had the chance to set down his bags before his older daughter launched herself at him. Laughing, he picked her up and pressed a loud kiss to her cheek. 

“Were you good for Mommy today,  _ corazoncito _ ?” he asked as he walked them toward the living room.

“Yes.  _ Abuelito _ was here, too.”

“Why was  _ Abuelito _ here?”

“He stopped by to see me and the girls,” Olivia answered as she approached. “He made us lunch, too. I think your mom sent him.”

Rafael chuckled. “I think he was here all on his own. Mami claims he’s worse than she is when it comes to hovering over everyone.”

“Well, his help was much appreciated. He put Miranda down for a nap while I got Miss Crabby Pants fed and put to sleep.”

Rafael frowned. “Catie gave you trouble today?”

Olivia shrugged. “A little, but nothing we need to worry about. I think she was just protesting you going back to work. How was your first day back?”

“Fine. Jack, Carmen, and some of the others at the DA’s office got some gifts for you and Catie.”

“ _ ¿Regalos _ ?” Miranda asked hopefully.

Rafael tickled her, making her giggle. “For Mommy and Catie.”

“I like presents.”

“I know. But you’ve gotten enough presents lately.”

Miranda frowned at him. “ _ Quiero un regalo _ ,” she mumbled. 

“Your daddy is right, sweet girl,” Olivia told her, reaching out to run a hand over her hair. “You’ve gotten a lot of presents lately. However, I think Catie might need her big sister’s help with  _ her _ presents.”

Miranda brightened a little. “I help,” she said with a nod.

“Come on,  _ corazoncito _ , let’s go get the bag so you can help Mommy  _ and _ Catie with their presents,” Rafael said, walking with Miranda back to the entryway to get the gift bag. 

* * *

“I talked to Eddie today,” Rafael said as he rocked Catie while Olivia got ready for bed.

Olivia looked up at the concerned tone in her husband’s voice. “Is he okay?”

“He has an interview for a job upstate.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. He’s the last one I would have thought would ever leave.”

“What job is he interviewing for?”

“A bailiff position at the Albany courthouse.”

“Why Albany?”

Rafael shrugged. “I’m not sure. I know he’s been looking for other jobs that would allow him to be home for Mateo more often, but I didn’t know he was looking that far away.”

“So find him a job here.”

“I can’t just magically create a job for him...as much as I’d like to.”

“Rafa, you’re the Executive ADA now, and you’re on good terms with the DA. Jack must know of  _ something _ . Maybe even Carmen knows. At least Jack might know who you should talk to. Maybe there’s an opening here in Manhattan that hasn’t been posted yet.”

“I’ll look into it tomorrow. Our  _ estrellita _ is finally asleep, so we should try to do the same,” Rafael said as he stood and placed Catie in her crib. 

Olivia smiled and nodded, curling into Rafael’s side when he joined her in their bed.

* * *

When he walked into the office the next morning, Rafael was pleased to see that Carmen was already there. Before walking into his own office, he stopped at her desk.

“You wouldn’t happen to know about any job openings here, would you?” he asked.

Carmen looked momentarily surprised, but then nodded. “Mr. McCoy’s assistant posts them. May I ask why you want to know?”

“I have a friend looking for a different job.”

“I can get a current list from Piper if you’d like.”

Rafael smiled and nodded. “Please.”

Carmen nodded, picking up her phone to dial Piper’s extension as Rafael walked into his office.

* * *

A few minutes later, he saw an email from Carmen with a list of current job openings. When he came to the open bailiff position, he smiled. 

“Did you find something for your friend?” Carmen asked as she entered the room. 

Rafael nodded. “I did,” he confirmed as he read over the papers she had for him to sign. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

“Oh, before I forget, this is from Liv and me,” Rafael said, taking an envelope from on top of his desk and handing it to her. 

Carmen was momentarily surprised, but quickly recovered and opened the envelope. Inside was a thank you card signed by both Olivia and Rafael as well as a gift card to her favorite restaurant and two theater tickets. When she saw the gifts, she raised her eyes to his. “This is too much.”

Rafael shook his head. “You’ve put up with me for four years, which is two years longer than my previous longest-lasting assistant. You do so much for me and Liv loved your gifts. This is the least we could do.”

Carmen smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

Rafael studied his assistant for a moment before he spoke again. “Is everything okay?”

“Just a little emotional. I talked to my grandmother this morning, she’s finally out of the hospital after falling at home last week.”

Rafael immediately thought of his own grandmother’s hospital stay and how he wished things had worked out differently. Pushing those thoughts away, he turned his attention back to Carmen. “Take the afternoon off; go see her.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I have a meeting with Rita in a half an hour and then an afternoon of paperwork.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

After sending the bailiff job information to Eddie, Rafael glanced over at the picture of his  _ abuelitos _ that he kept on his desk. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. 

The two of them had accompanied him and his mom on a trip to Central Park. It was their last family trip before his grandfather had died just a few weeks later, but they all had had so much fun just spending time together. 

The park hadn’t been their original plan, but it had been such a nice day that they decided to go last minute. He and Alberto had left the two women alone, telling them to relax while they went to get pretzels and drinks. Alberto had spotted a flower vendor on the way back and they’d purchased flowers for Catalina and Lucia. The latter had had her camera with her and she’d snapped a picture of her parents while her father gave her mother the flowers he’d purchased. They both had wide smiles on their faces-clearly still madly in love even in their eighties and after nearly sixty years together. It was his favorite picture of them. Not for the first time, he wished they’d both lived long enough to meet Olivia, to see him become a father. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of his phone indicating he had a new message. 

Reaching for his phone, he opened the message from Olivia. It was a video of Miranda and Catie. The older girl was singing along with a song playing in the background and the younger girl was loving it. Smiling, he typed out a quick reply to Olivia and then set his phone back down. He thought back to the dream he’d had a few months ago, when he’d talked to his  _ abuelitos _ , and realized that they  _ did _ know about his family and found comfort in that. He also swore he heard his grandmother’s voice saying “ _ Te amo, Rafi _ .”

* * *

A short while, Rafael looked up at the sound of his office door opening. His college best friend entered the room with her usual determination. He’d never admit it to anyone, but she was his favorite sparring partner. He would always miss being on the same side as Rita, but she always challenged him and he appreciated that, even when it drove him crazy.

“Did you not get enough sleep last night or something?” the friend in question quipped as she took a seat in front of his desk. 

Rafael smirked at her. “Just thinking about how deep of a dive into legal precedent you had to go to find a defense for your client.”

Rita rolled her eyes. “Not as deep as you’d like to think,” she replied, then paused and smirked back at him. “Nice tie, by the way.”

“It was a Christmas gift from  _ you _ , RiRi.”

Rita glared at him. “You’re the only one who refuses to stop calling me that.”

Rafael chuckled. “When you stop trying to insult my clothing, I’ll consider stopping calling you that.”

“Sometimes I wonder how Olivia puts up with you. You can be so insufferable.”

Rafael laughed. “It’s part of my charm.”

“That’s what  _ you _ think,” Rita replied. 

“It’s what I  _ know _ ,  _ mejor amiga _ .”

* * *

Pausing outside of Rafael’s office when he heard voices, Jack became more confused as the conversation went on. 

“Do they do this often?” he asked Carmen, who seemed slightly amused by the conversation.

“Yes,” Carmen confirmed. “I stopped trying to understand it a long time ago. You know they’ve been best friends since college?”

Jack shook his head. He knew Rafael and Rita had known each other a long time, but he didn’t know they went that far back. 

“They were assigned as partners for some project and the rest is history. Pretty sure they were siblings in another life or something.”

“I could see that,” Jack agreed before knocking on the door and then entering Rafael’s office.

* * *

The following afternoon, as he was working on some paperwork in his home office, Rafael was startled out of his thoughts by a small body crashing into the side of his chair. 

“Daddy.”

Looking over, he chuckled when he saw his older daughter standing there. Turning his chair, he picked her up and placed her on his lap, hugging her close. 

“Isn’t it your naptime?” he asked, glancing at his watch.

“No nap,” Miranda insisted.

“ _ Mija _ , you need to take a nap.”

“Stay here with you.”

“I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

Miranda leaned sleepily against his chest. He could tell she was fighting sleep. 

“How about I tuck you in?” he suggested. 

“We play later?” she asked.

“ _ Sí, corazoncito _ , we’ll play later.  _ After _ your nap and  _ after _ I finish my work for the day.”

“ _ Abrazo _ .”

Rafael chuckled as he hugged her tightly and then stood with her in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder. 

* * *

Seeing Rafael walk out of his office with a sleepy Miranda in his arms, Olivia smiled. 

“I figured she went to find you,” she said affectionately, walking over and running a hand over their daughter’s hair. 

“Where’s Catie?” Rafael asked. 

“Sleeping in our room.”

Rafael leaned over and kissed his wife. “Go take a nap, Livia. I promised Miranda that I’d tuck her in.”

Olivia smiled and nodded, pressing a kiss to Miranda’s head before turning and walking back upstairs just ahead of Rafael. 

* * *

“ _ Duerme bien, mi corazoncito _ ,” Rafael whispered after he’d tucked Miranda into her bed, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her temple. 

“ _ Te amo _ ,” Miranda whispered sleepily, hugging Lovey and Lumpy close. 

Rafael smiled. “ _ Te amo _ .” 

* * *

On Friday afternoon, Mateo exited his school and looked around for his surrogate uncle. His dad had told him that Rafael would pick him up from school today and he’d be going to his house for a sleepover. 

“Mateo!”

Smiling at the sound of the familiar voice, Mateo rushed over to Rafael and hugged him tightly. “ _ Tío _ Rafi.”

Rafael smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Ready to go?” 

Mateo nodded. “My dad dropped off my stuff?”

“He did.  _ Tía _ Liv and I were thinking of ordering pizza for dinner. Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah!”

“Pepperoni, right?”

Mateo grinned and nodded. “You remembered.”

Rafael chuckled as they began to walk. “Of course I did. What do you think about stopping at the store with me so we can pick up  _ Tía _ Liv’s favorite ice cream?”

“As a surprise?”

“Yes.”

“Can I get ice cream, too?”

Rafael laughed and reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair again. “Sure,  _ sobrino _ . Not a lot, though, okay?”

“ _ Sí, Tío  _ Rafi.”

* * *

While they waited for the pizza, Rafael showed Mateo where he’d be sleeping. 

“We figured you would be disturbed a lot less in here,” Rafael said as he opened the door to his and Olivia’s home office.

Mateo looked at the pullout bed that had been made up for him and then back at his uncle. 

“There’s a TV over there,” Rafael pointed out. “Your dad mentioned that you sometimes watch a short cartoon before bed on the weekends. I freed Osito from your bag and let him get settled.”

Mateo giggled as he spotted his stuffed bear laying in the middle of the bed. “He’s going to think he gets the whole bed to himself.”

“We talked. He knows he has to share,” Rafael assured him with a smile. When he noticed the sad look that had taken over his surrogate nephew’s face, he put a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t want to move,” he said softly. 

Rafael sighed, crouching down to Mateo’s level. “I don’t want you to, either. Your dad is just trying to find a way to spend more time with you, though.”

“Why can’t he find a job  _ here _ ?”

“He’s been looking, but he promised these people he would meet with them. It’s important to keep your promises. You know that, yeah?”

Mateo nodded. “I know.”

“So let’s concentrate on having fun tonight. If your dad finds a new job here, maybe we could make this a regular thing?”

Mateo brightened at that idea, smiling a little as he nodded. “I like playing Lego with Noah.”

“He likes it, too,” Rafael said as he stood. “Lego is on your birthday list, isn’t it?”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s go see if the pizza is here yet. I don’t know about you, but I’m  _ starving _ .”

Mateo laughed as he followed Rafael out of the room. “Papi says you say that a lot.”

“He claims that he snacks to stave off the hunger,” Olivia joked as she met them in the hallway. “Pizza is here. Go wash up.” When Rafael didn’t follow Mateo’s lead and turn toward the bathroom, she laughed as she grabbed his shoulders and made a show of turning him around, then giving him a light shove in the right direction. “ _ Both _ of you.”


End file.
